m^ 


IVlyliady  Pride 

55   CHARLES    GARVICEL 


1  &  M.  OTTENHEIMER,  Baltimore,  MA  • 


MY  LADY  PRIDE 


CHARLES  GARVICE 


COPYRIGHT,  1904 


I.  &  M.  OTTENHEIMER 

321  W-  Baltimore  Si  Baltimore, 


MY  LADY  PRIDE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A   PLEA    FOR    JUSTICE. 

IT  was  a  lovely  evening  in  June,  and  the  clock  of  Westbury 
church  struck  six  as  a  young  giil  walked  down  the  High 
Street  toward  the  lanes  leading  to  tae  open  .country  ^eyend. 
She  was  tall  and  slim,  as  a  young  girl  of  nineteen  should 
be;  slim  and  exceedingly  graceful' and  the  ligiil;,.  springy 
step  spoke  of  health  and  strength,  as  well  as  youth. 

She  was  beautiful,  was  this  girl,  as  well  as  strong  and 
healthy ;  and  if  I  were  to  go  over  her  good  gifts  in  catalogue 
fashion,  I  should  tell  of  her  clear-cut,  oval  face,  of  the  brown 
hair,  almost  black  but  for  the  golden  tints  reflecting  the 
evening  sun;  of  the  large  but  expressive  mouth;  and,  lastly, 
of  the  gray  eyes  that  could  be  so  soft  or  sparkling,  demure  or 
mirthful,  just  at  the  will  and  bidding  of  their  owner. 

But  such  enumerations  are  not  of  much  use,  because,  elabo- 
rate as  they  may  be,  they  never  succeed  in  describing  such 
beauty  as  Moris  Carlisle's. 

She  had  a  tennis  bat  in  her  hand,  and  her  face  was  slightly 
Pushed,  as  if  she  had  been  playing  up  to  the  last  moment,  as 
indeed  she  had,  for  when  the  clock  struck  six  she  glanced  up 
at  the  church  turret  and  quickened  her  pace  to  a  run. 

Leaving  the  High  Street,  she  turned  to  the  left,  and,  push- 
ing open  a  gate,  sped  up  a  small  garden  path  and  ran  into 
a  pretty  cottage,  which  nestled  back  from  the  lane  as  if  it  were 
trying  to  hide  itself. 

I  say  "ran  in,"  because  the  door  was  open,  showing  a 
quaint  little  hall,  with  an  old  oak  chest  for  a  table,  and  an 
old  oak  chair  standing  beside  it.  On  both  the  chair  and  the 
c%est  were  carved  a..cqai/^t-am%--a  dove  fighting  with  an 

9668O* 


10  MY  LADY   PRIDE. 

eagle  above  an  ivy  bush.     They  were  the  arms  of  the  Carlisle^ 
and  had  been  borne  by  one  of  Florists  ancestors  as  far  back  as 

11  ic  Crusades. 

SIui  threw  the  bat  and  her  hat  on  the  chest,  and  smoothing 
her  hair  with  that  gesture  which  only  a  woman  can  accom- 
plish, opened  a  door  on  the  left  and  looked  in. 

It  was  an  extremely  pretty  and  neat  dining-room,  and  tht 
cloth  was  laid  for  dinner,  but  Floris,  after  looking  around 
and  failing  to  see  any  one,  went  into  the  hall  and  called,  in  a 
clear,  sweet  voice: 

"Mamma!" 

At  the  same  moment  a  neat  and  respectful  looking  little 
servant-maid  appeared  from  the  kitchen  regions,  and  with  a 
voice  slightly  hushed,  said: 

"  Mistress  is  in  the  drawing-room,  miss — with  a  gentle- 
man." 

The  large  gray  eyes  expressed  a  faint  surprise,  as  if  a  vis- 
itor were  an  unusual  thing,  and  she  hesitated,  with  her  fingers 
upon  the.  handle  of  the  .drawing-room  door.  But,  as  a  very 
thin  voice  from  within  said: 

'"  Is  thai  you,  Floris  ?  Come  in !"  She  opened  the  door  and 
entered. 

Carlisle  was  seated  in  a  chair  beside  the  fire — there 
was  a  fire,  though  it  was  June,  because  Mrs.  Carlisle  was  an 
invalid,  and  never  quite  warm  from  January  to  December— 
and  opposite  her  sat  a  thin,  middle-aged  gentleman,  with 
gray  hair  and  small,  sharp  eyes. 

At  the  entrance  of  the  girl,  the  small  eyes  glanced  at  hep 
with  a  sudden  flash  of  admiration  and  surprise,  then  sought 
the  fire  again. 

Mrs.  Carlisle's  face  was  very  pale,  and  there  was  a  troubled, 
anxious  and  extremely  perplexed  look  in  her  face. 

:<  This  is  my  daughter,  Mr.  Morrel,"  she  said,  faintly^. 
"  Floris,  this  is  Mr.  Morrel,  the  lawyer." 

Mr.  Morrel  rose  and  bowed  sharply  and  quickly,  as  if  he 
eould  scarcely  spare  time  for  the  ceremony,  and  Floris 
inclined  her  head  with  a  slight  look  of  curiosity. 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment;  then  Mrs.  Carlisle  rose, 
and  drew  her  silk  shawl  around  her. 

"  You  will  stay  and  dine  with  us,  Mr.  Morrel  ?"  she  asked, 
almost  pleadingly. 

The  lawyer  glanced  at  his  watch  with  a  frown,  as  if  he  had 
a  private  quarrel  with  it,  and  looked  up  sharply. 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  11 

"  I  have  to  catch  the  eight  o'clock  train,  ma'am." 

"  You  will  have  plenty  of  time/'  said  Mrs.  Carlisle ;  "  I— 
I  should  be  glad  if  you  will  stay,  because  you  can  explain  this 
— this  business  to  my  daughter  better  than  I  can.  Indeed,  I 
fear  I  do  not  understand  it/'  and  she  looked  from  one  to  the 
other  with  a  perplexed  and  feeble  glance. 

Floris  went  toward  her  and  arranged  the  shawl  that  had 
fallen  askew,  and  the  three  went  into  the  dining-room.  I, 
was  the  picture  of  comfort,  and  the  hatchet-faced  lawyer 
looked  around  and  rubbed  his  hands,  then  frowned  as  if  he 
had  remembered  something,  coughed  huskily,  and  sunk  into 
his  chair  with  a  sigh. 

Mrs.  Carlisle  sat  at  the  bottom  of  the  table,  and  Floris  at 
the  head,  and  it  was  to  Floris  that  the  soup  was  brought,  as 
if  she  were  the  presiding  genius. 

"  Have  you  come  from  London,  Mr.  Morrel  ?"  she  asked,  in 
the  clear,  soft  voice,  which  made  one  pause  before  answering, 
in  case  she  should  speak  again. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  sharply ;  "  by  the  four- thirty  !  Very  slow 
train !  Shamefully  late !  But  railway  directors  don't  under- 
stand the  value  of  time." 

"And  lawyers  do!"  said  Floris,  with  a  smile. 

"  They  do,"  he  assented,  and  then  attacked  the  fish  as  if  ig* 
illustration  of  the  truth  of  his  assertion. 

Floris  looked  at  him  with  a  curiosity  which  would  have 
been  amused  but  for  the  pale,  anxious  face  opposite  her. 

"Where  have  you  been,  Floris?"  asked  Mrs.  Carlisle,  to 
break  the  silence. 

"  To  Lady  Burton's  tennis  party,  mamma." 

"  Oh,  yes !  I  had  forgotten,"  said  Mrs.  Carlisle,  with  a 
sigh. 

"  Do  you  play  tennis,   Mr.   Morrel  ?"   asked   Floris. 

"  No,  Miss  Carlisle ;  I  have  no  leisure  for  tennis.  I  hope! 
you  had  a  pleasant  afternoon." 

"  Yes,  very !"  she  said. 

The  conversation  dropped  again.  It  was  evident  that  both 
the  lawyer  and  Mrs.  Carlisle  were  too  full  of  some  business 
matter  to  talk  of  anything  else,  and  Floris  relapsed  into  silent 
attention  to  their  guest. 

Presently  the  servant  left  the  room,  and  Mrs.  Carlisle, 
gently  pushing  the  port  decanter  to  the  lawyer,  said: 

"  Perhaps  you  will  let  us  stay  while  you  take  your  wine, 
Mr.  Morrel,  and — and  tell  my  daughter  about  this  business." 


18  MY  LADY  PRIDE. 

4t  Certainly,  ma'am;  but  I  don't  drink  port;  it  muddles  the 
brains,  and  lawyers  have  to  keep  theirs  clear." 

Mrs.  Carlisle  sighed,  and  Floris  rose  and  brought  some 
flaret  from  the  sideboard. 

The  lawyer  bowed,  sipped  the  wine,  and  cleared  his  throat. 

"  I've  come  down  to  tell  your  mamma,  Miss  Carlisle,  that 
the  ease  has  closed/'  he  said,  looking  at  her  with  a  sharp  in* 
temt  in  his  small  eyes. 

"  The  case  ?"  repeated  Floris,  knitting  her  brows ;  then  she 
smiled.  "  I  beg  your  pardon.  I  had  almost  forgotten,"  shft 
explained.  "  I  have  known  about  it  so  long,  ever  since  I  can 
remember,  that  strange  as  it  all  seems,  I  have  almost  learned 
to  forget  it!" 

"  No  doubt,"  he  said,  gravely.  "  The  lawsuit  was  com- 
menced 'during  your  grandfather's  time." 

"Yes,"  said  Floris,  smiling  still;  "  I  can  femember,  when 
I  was  a  child,  hearing  another  girl  boast  that  she  had  a 
baronet  in  her  family,  and  my  retort  that  we  had  a  chancery 
suit  in  ours." 

The  lawyer  didn't  look  quite  so  amused  as  he  might  have 
done ;  perhaps  he  felt  that  there  was  some  sarcasm  on  "  the 
laws'  delays." 

"  In  your  grandfather's  time,"  he  repeated.  "  He  and 
Lord  Norman  were  distantly  connected — " 

"We  always  denied  the  relationship,"  murmured  Mrs 
Carlisle. 

The  lawyer  bowed. 

"  At  any  rate,  the  two  families,  the  Carlisks  and  the  Nor* 
mans,  were  mixed  up,  if  I  may  use  the  expression,  in  some 
way  or  other." 

"  It  was  something  to  do  with  some  land,"  murmured  Mrs. 
[(Carlisle.  "  I  don't  understand  it;  I  never  did." 

"And  no  one  else,  it  would  appear,"  said  Floris,  gently, 
jbut  with  a  smile,  "seeing  that  it  has  taken  two  generations 
to  puzzle  it  out." 

"And  some  of  the  most  learned  men  on  the  bench,  at  the 
bar !"  said  Mr.  Morrel.  "At  any  rate,  the  two  families  quar- 
reled about  the  land,  and  threw  it  into  chancery.  It  is  very 
easy— indeed,  it  is  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world  to  put  a 
thing  into  chancery,  and  about  the  hardest  thing  to  get  it  out 
again,"  and  he  then  coughed  behind  his  hand. 

Floris  leaned  back  in  her  chair,  with  her  hands  folded  in  her 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  13 

lap,  «md  her  beautiful  gray  eyes  fixed  on  tile  window  opposite 
her  with  dreamy  intentness. 

"  The  question  at  issue,"  resumed  Mr.  Morrel,  "  was  very 
small  to  begin  with,  but  its  proportions  grew  as  the  case  pro- 
greased." 

"  Yes,"  said  Floris,  softly,  "  and  the  costs,  too,  Mr.  Mor- 
reL We  used  to  live  at  the  Hall  at  one  time." 

The  lawyer  coughed  again. 

"  Costs  will  grow,  Miss  Carlisle,  in  such  a  case  as  this.     The 
iuit's  become  one  of  the  most  celebrated  on  record.     It  will  "-4 
here  he  bowed  impressively — "  supply  precedents  for  future  i 
cases  unto  the  end  of  time." 

"We  ought  to  feel  very  proud,"  says  Floris,  with  a  low 
laugh. 

"  You  ought,"  he  assented,  quite  seriously.  "  It  is  quite 
an  honor  to  be  a  party  to  the  suit  of  Norman  versus  Car- 
lisle!" 

"It  has  been  a  very  expensive  honor,"  she  said,  smiling 
gently. 

"Ahem !  Yes,  no  doubt.  But  to  come  to  the  point.  The 
case,  I  am  proud  and  happy  to  say,  was  closed  to-day.  That 
is,  I  should  be  proud  and  happy,"  he  corrected  himself,  with 
a  slight  flush,  "  if  it  had  been  closed  with  a  different  decision." 

"  Then  we  have  lost  ?"  said  Floris,  without  any  great  show 
of  interest. 

He  wagged  his  head  gravely. 

"  I  regret  to  say  fhat  you  have,  Miss  Carlisle.  After  pa- 
tient hearing  in  one  court  after  another,  the  case  has  been  car- 
ried to  the  Lords,  and  the  final  decision  has  been  pronounced 
in  favor  of  Lord  Norman." 

Mrs.  Carlisle  uttered  a  feeble  moan,  but  Floris  turned  her 
lovely  gray  eyes  on  the  thin  face  of  the  lawyer,  without  any 
suspicion  of  the  significance  of  his  words. 

"  Lord  Norman,"  she  repeated,  softly,  almost  absently, 
thinking  how,  throughout  her  short  life,  that  name  haeL 
haunted  and  hovered  about  her.  "  Well,  I  suppose  it  is  just."f 

" We  always  considered  that  his  claim  was  most  unjust,"^ 
mUgaured  Mrs.   Carlisle.     "  I  never  understood  it !     Your> 
j?«vx«  father  llsed  to  spend  hours  in  trying  to  explain  the  case 
fe»*  ~-v    but  I  always  got  confused  and  muddled." 

"Th*  effect  upon  a  great  many  persons  beside  yourself, 
madame,"  said  the  lawyer. 

Floris  had  risen,  and  stood  at  the  window  looking  out  at 


14  MT   LADY   PRIDE. 

the  view  which,  like  a  lovely  panorama,  stretched  before  her. 
There  was  not  a  hill  or  tree  that  she  did  not  know  and  love. 
The  lawyer's  dry  voice  recalled  her  to  herself. 

"  Yes,  we,  on  our  side,  always  thought  the  Norman  claim 
unjust,  of  course,  or  we  should  not  have  continued  fighting." 

"  But  do  you  not  think  so  now  ?"  said  Floris,  turning  to 
him. 

"  The  highest  court  in  the  land  has  pronounced  in  his 
£avor,"  replied  the  lawyer,  significantly. 

Floris  sighed. 

"  Well/'  she  said,  gently,  "  I  am  sure  that  we  are  glad  that 
it  is  all  over,  and  that  the  case  is  decided.  Lord  Norman  is 
quite  welcome  to  the  prize  he  has  fought  for — whatever  it  is 
— I  don't  know  what  it  is !" 

"A  very  large  sum  of  money/'  said  the  lawyer,  grimly,  and 
Mrs.  Carlisle  moaned  again. 

"  Which  we  might  have  won,  and  which  would  have  made 
us  rich  again.  Never  mind,  mamma/'  and  as  she  spoke  she 
turned,  with  a  bright,  consoling  smile,  upon  the  feeble  lady 
shivering  in  her  easy-chair.  "  Money  isn't  everything,  as 
somebody  says.  Lord  Norman  is  quite  welcome  to  it,  is  he 
not?" 

Mrs.  Carlisle  did  not  reply,  and  Mr.  Morrel  looked  from  one 
to  the  other  rather  curiously  and  in  silence  for  a  minute  or  so. 
Then  he  coughed,  and  with  hesitation  and  embarrassment 
staring  from  every  sharp  feature,  said: 

"Ahem !  If  it  were  only  the  sum  in  dispute  that  was 
affected  by  the  decision,  Miss  Carlisle,  it  would  not  so  much 
matter."  * 

"  What  else  is  there  ?"  asked  Flons,  with  quiet  surprise. 

"  The  costs,"  replied  the  lawyer,  grimly ;  "  the  expenses  of 
this  trial  and  the  one  preceding  it — 

"  But  we  have  been  paying  costs  ever  since  I  can  remem- 
ber !"  she  said.  "  It  is  the  costs  in  this  '  celebrated  case/  of 
which  we  ought  to  be  so  proud,  which  has  driven  us  from  the 
Hall  to  this  cottage;  it  is  the  costs  and  expenses  which,  like 
Aaron's  serpent,  Mr.  Morrel,  have  swallowed  up  our  carriages 
and  horses  and  men-servants,  and  reduced  us  to  the  condition 
/,in  which  we  are  quite  content,"  she  added,  with  simple  dignity 
that  awed  the  dry  and  musty  lawyer  and  made  him  cough 
again.  "  Surely,  there  are  no  further  demands  upon  us !" 

"  I  regret  to  say  that  there  are,"  he  replied,  and  to  his 
credit,  be  it  said,  he  looked  sorry,  as  his  glance  rested  upon 


MY   LADY   PRIM.  15 

the  slim,  graceful  girl,  with  the  clear,  soft  voice  and  large, 
gray  eyes. 

Mrs.  Carlisle  groaned. 

"  There  are  the  costs  of  these  last  two  trials,  Miss  Carlisle, 
and  they  amount  to  a  little  over  five  thousand  pounds !" 

The  blow  for  which  he  had  been  mercifully  preparing  her, 
was  struck  at  last. 

Floris  stood  quite  still  for  a  moment;  then  she  went  and 
laid  her  white  hand  tenderly  and  soothingly  upon  her  mother's, 
shoulder. 

"  Five  thousand  pounds !"  she  murmured,  in  a  low,  distinct 
voice,  that  quivered  for  all  her  effort  to  keep  it  firm.  "  We 
have  to  pay  that?" 

The  lawyer  inclined  his  head. 

"  Each  side  to  pay  its  own  costs,"  he  said.  "  Yours  will  be 
quite  that  sum;  but  don't  be  alarmed,  Miss  Carlisle — 

She  did  not  hear  him.  Her  eyes  were  fixed  on  the  floor,  her 
heart  beating  slowly  and  heavily. 

Five  thousand  pounds !  She  knew  what  it  meant !  Five 
thousand  pounds  !  It  would  nearly  ruin  them !  In  a  moment 
she  saw  the  lovely  view,  lying  bathed  in  the  sunset,  fading 
slowly  aXvay,  giving  place  to  some  squalid  London  street;  the 
comfortable  apartment  was  transformed  to  a  miserable  parlor 
in  a  dirty  lodging-house!  This,  then,  was  what  this  man  had 
come  to  tell  them !  That  they  were  ruined ! 

Her  hand  shook  upon  the  feeble  shoulder,  and  her  parted 
lips  quivered  as  the  tears  gathered  slowly  in  her  eyes. 

Mr.  Morrel  had  stopped  abruptly^s  he  saw  that  she  was  not 
listening ;  but  now  he  went  on  again,  his  dry,  sharp  voice 
striking  on  her  ears  discordantly. 

"  Don't  be  alarmed,  Miss  Carlisle ;  you  have  not  heard  me 
out  yet.  I  have  "still  some  intelligence  to  communicate." 

She  turned  her  head  toward  him  very  slowly. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  she  said,  quietly ;  "  I  was  startled." 

"  No  doubt,  no  doubt,"  he  sniffed.  "  Every  excuse ;  my 
fault,  Miss  Carlisle.  I  ought  to  have  told  you  first  what  I  am 
going  to  tell  you  now/9 

She  listened,  with  pale,  sorrowful  face. 

"At  the  close  of  the  trial,  immediately  after  the  decision  of 
the  judges,  we  received  a  communication  from  Lord  Norman 
— tfeough  his  lawyer,  of  course." 

"Yes?" 

"  It  was  a  communication  which  surprised  us — surprised  us 


If  MY  LADY   PRIDE. 

very  much.  We  had  no  right  or  reason  to  expect  an  offer  of 
such  a  kind  from  Lord  Norman,  and  it  does  him  the  greatest 
credit — the  very  greatest!" 

"An  offer  from  Lord  Norman?"  she  repeated,  dully. 

"  Yes !"  snapped  Mr.  Morrel.  "  Immediately  upon  hearing 
'that  he  had  won  his  cause,  his  lordship  sent  and  offered  to 
pay  your  costs  for  you." 

J  There  was  a  silence  while  one  could  count  twenty.  The 
lovely  face  turned  to  the  window  was  white  and  set.  The 
hand  resting  on  the  feeble  woman's  shoulder  shut  tightly. 
The  soft,  firm  lips  closed  with  a  close  compression.  Mr.  Mor- 
rel was  too  much  taken  up  with  his  own  satisfaction  to  notice 
the  effect  of  his  announcement. 

"  It  was  a  remarkably  generous  offer ;  extraordinarily  so !" 
he  said,  wagging  his  head.  "  I  was  never  more  surprised  in 
Hiy  life — never !  Such  a  new  experience  for  me,  I  assure  you  5 
I  have  often  known  of  offers  of  compromise  before  cases  have 
been  finally  tried,  but  never  after.  Why,  it  is  a  clear  gift  of 
five  thousand  pounds !  I  congratulate  you  and  your  mamma, 
Miss  Carlisle,"  and  he  made  a  little  bow,  which  broke  off 
short  as  Floris's  voice  rose  clear  and  full,  though  low,  with  the 
single  word : 

"Stop!" 

Mr.  Morrel  looked  up  at  her  with  a  start.  He  had  ex- 
pected, if  not  a  gush  of  gratitude,  at  any  rate  an  expreseiou 
of  thankfulness  and  relief ;  but  the  "  Stop  !"  sounded  anything 
but  that. 

"  You  say  that  Lord  Norman  has  offered,  of  his  own  free 
will,  to  pay  these  costs ;  to  give  us,  yon  said,  this  money  ?" 

"Yes,  oh,  yes;  there  is  no  mistake!"  replied  Mr.  Mori  el, 

"  and  we  should  have  accepted,  but  thought  it  better,  as  a 

^matter  of  form,  to  lay  the  offer  before  you.     We  thought 

([chat,  perhaps,  you  would  like  to  make  something  more  than 

a  formal  acknowledgment  of  his  lordship's  kindness." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  murmured  Mrs.  Carlisle,  tremulously. 

"  Hush,  hush !"  breathed  Floris,  bending  over  her ;  then 
she  raised  her  head  and  fixed  her  eyes  upon  the  man  of  law. 

"  You  did  right,  sir,"  she  said ;  and  at  the  solemnity  in  her 
voice  he  started  and  stared  at  her.  "  We  should  like  to  make 
something  more  than  a  formal  acknowledgment,  through  a 
lawyer,  of  Lord  Norman's — kindness  !" 

With  a  swift,  yet  graceful,  and  all  too  haughty,  gesture? 
she  glided  to  a  side-table,  and  bending,  not  sittingj 


MY   LADY    PRIDE.  I?) 

hastily.  Then  she  glided  back,  and  with  the  air  of  an  in* 
dign&nt  empress,  she  extended  her  white  hand  with  the  papei 
in  it. 

"  There's  an  acknowledgment  of  his  lordship's  offer.  Be 
good  enough  to  read  it,  Mr.  Morrel." 

The  lawyer  held  the  paper  near  the  lamp,  and,  in  his 
amazement,  read  the  written  words  aloud. 

"A  Carlisle  demands  justice,  not  charity,  and  having  re- 
ceived the  former,  has  no  desire  to  become  the  recipient  ofc 
the  latter,  even  though  it  should  be  at  the  hands  of  the  Earl 
of  Nerman." 


CHAPTER  II. 
LADY  PENDLETON'S  COMPANION. 

MRS.  CARLISLE  uttered  an  exclamation  of  dismay,  and  be- 
gan to  wring  her  hands. 

The  lawyer  stared  and  blinked  with  his  small  eyes  at  t&e 
tall,  slim  figure  and  proud,  beautiful  face,  as  if  he  were  0m 
the  verge  of  a  fit. 

"Good  gracious ! "  he  gasped,  at  last.  "  Do  you  mean  to 
say  that — really,  Mrs.  Carlisle,  I  appeal  to  you/'  and  he  held 
out  the  sheet  of  note-paper  almost  dramatically. 

"  My  mother  agrees  with  me,  sir,  that  this  offer  of  Lori 
Norman's  must  be  declined.  We  have  no  claim  upon  his 
generosity.  We  are  not  his  relations — we  are  not  even  his 
friends.  We  have  been  the  foes  of  his  family  for  years.  Thk 
suit,  which  has  impoverished  and  ruined  us,  has  cost  him 
thousands  of  pounds.  He  has  won  it,  he  has  proved  to  be  in 
the  right  and  we  in  the  wrong,  so  that  for  all  these  years  the 
Carlisles  have  done  him  great  and  lasting  injury.  And  in 
return  he  offers  us — five  thousand  pounds !  " 

Her  face  was  crimson  now,  the  gray  eyes  flashing,  the  read 
lips  apart  with  wounded  pride  and  resentment. 

"  What  right  has  he  to  humiliate  us  ?  "  and  her  hand  closed 
tightly  on  the  back  of  her  mother's  chair. 

The  lawyer,  poor  fellow,  quite  unable  to  understand  the 
fine  feeling  which  prompted  the  refusal  from  the  pr<mi  and 
haughty  nature  of  the  girl,  stared  and  gasped,  an4 
<f  Good  gracious  j "  again,  helplessly. 


18  M?   LADY   PRIDE. 

"Then — then  this  is  your  answer,  Mrs.  Carlisle?"  he 
said. 

"Yes.  Floris,  my  daughter,  knows  what  is  best.  Lord 
Norman  is  very  kind,  he  meant  kindly,  and — and — I  thought 
for  the  moment  that  we — 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  ma'am/'  interjected  the  lawyer, 
abruptly,  almost  pleadingly,  "  don't  throw  away  five  thous- 
and pounds  for  the  sake  of  a  little  pride!  Put  it  in  your 
pocket,  Mrs.  Carlisle — your  pride,  I  mean,  and  save  the 
'money !  " 

Mrs.  Carlisle   hesitated,   and   looked   up   at   Floris,   then 
-feighed,  for  the  girl's  face  was  inflexible. 

"  No  other  answer  is  possible  than  that  I  have  given  you," 
said  Floris,  quietly.. 

He  got  his  hat,  and  looked  from  one  to  the  other. 

"  See  here,  ma'am,"  he  said,  '"•  I  shall  take  'the  liberty  of 
retaining  Miss  Carlisle's  note  for  twenty-four  hours,  in  case — 
I  say  in  case — you  should  change  your  minds,  which  I  hope 
to  goodness  you  will.  If  I  don't  hear  from  you  by  this  time 
to-morrow  I  will  hand  your  answer  to  Lord  Norman..  But  I 
trust  that  I  shall  hear.  Good-night,  Mrs.  Carlisle;  good- 
night, Miss  Carlisle/' 

There  was  a  silence  for  a  moment  after  the  door  had  closed 
upon  him,  then  Mrs.  Carlisle,  who  had  been  shedding  a  weak 
tear  or  two,  shook  her  head  dolefully,  and  wailed : 

"  What  is  to  be  done,  Floris  ?  We  must  go  into  London 
lodgings,  and — and  live  on  cold  mutton  and  bad  sherry." 

Floris  laughed  softly,  if  a  little  sadly. 

"The  mutton  need  not  be  always  cold,  mamma,  and  as  to 
the  sherry,  you  never  drink  it,  and  I  hate  it.  And  I  don't 
think  we  need  go  into  lodgings  in  London,  dear.  I  think  we 
can  stay  here  still — that  is,  you  can,"  she  added,  softly. 
''  This  afternoon  I  was  sitting  on  the  lawn  with  Lady  Burton, 
when  she  suddenly  began  to  talk  of  her  sister,  Lady  Pendle- 
ton.  She  had  had  a  letter  from  her  this  morning,  asking  her 
if  she  knew  of  a  young  lady  who  would  be  likely  to  suit  her 
as  a  companion.  I  have  thought — of  a  young  lady  who 
might,  perhaps,  serve  in  place  of  the  angei  Lady  Pendleton 
is  looking  for.  It  is  a  young  lady  of  the  name  of  Floris 
Carlisle." 

Mrs.  Carlisle  stared  down  at  her  with  feeble  astonishment. 

"  You,  Floris !  " 

I!     Why  not,  mamma?     Think  of  it!     Ninety 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  19 

pounds  a  year  and — and  a  home — "  Her  voice  broke,  and 
Mrs.  Carlisle  began  to  cry  instanter. '  "  No,  no,  mamma,  we 
will  not  cry,  either  of  us." 

She  rose  as  she  spoke  and  went  to  the  table. 

"  I  don't  know  what  made  me  do  it,  but  I  asked  for  Lady 
Pendleton's  address,  and  copied  it  in  my  memorandum- 
book.  Fifty-nine  Grosvenor  Place.  That  sounds  very  grand, 
mamma !  " 

j  She  stopped  the  thin  stream  of  bewailing  and  bemoaning 
which  Mrs.  Carlisle  began  to  pour  out,  with  a  kiss,  and  then 
.went  back  to  the  table  and  wrote  a  short  note. 

"  There,  mamma  I  I  have  told  Lady  Pendleton  that  I  am 
musical,  cheerful,  that  I  love  reading  the  newspaper  better 
than  anything  else  on  earth,  and  as  for  my  looks/'  she  laughed 
carelessly,  "  though  not  beautiful,  children  do  not,  as  a  rule, 
fly  at  my  approach,  and  that  I  have  not  a  positive  cast  in  my 
eye !  Beyond  that,  she  must  judge  for  herself." 

She  came  back  with  the  note  in  her  hand,  and  threw  her 
arms  around  the  weak-natured  mother  and  kissed  her,  and  as 
there  was  no  glass  Mrs.  Carlisle  did  not  see  the  unshed  tears 
that  filled  the  glorious  gray  eyes  of  the  girl  who  was  too  proud 
to  accept  five  thousand  pounds,  but  not  too  proud  to  go  out 
and  work  as  a  servant! 

A  week  later,  when  the  newspapers  had  about  grown  tired 
of  referring  to  the  great  Norman  versus  Carlisle  case,  Moris 
stood  in  the  hall  of  59  Grosvenor  Place. 

"  Lady  Pendleton  ?  Yes,  miss,"  said  the  huge  footman, 
with  the  deepest  respect,  after  a  glance  at  the  beautiful  face, 
with  the  obvious  air  of  good  breeding.  "Yes,  miss,  her 
ladyship's  at  home." 

Moris  took  out  her  card-case,  but  suddenly  remembering 
that  lady  companions  should  not  carry  visiting-cards,  said : 

"  Please  say  that  Miss  Carlisle  has  come." 

The  footman  looked  rather  surprised,  but  his  respect,  for  a 
marvel,  did  not  vanish,  and  he  showed  Floris  into  an  immense 
drawing-room  quite  civilly. 

I  Floris  was  trying  to  form  conjecture  as  to  the  kind  of  woman 
the  mistress  might  be,  when  the  footman  returned. 

"  Her  ladyship  will  be  obliged  if  you  will  go  up  to  her 
room,  miss,"  he  said. 

Floris  followed  him  up  a  flight  of  broad  stairs,  along  a 
short  corridor,  and  entered  Lady  Pendleton's  boudoir. 

As  she  did  so,  a  little  woman,  beautifully  dressed,  rose 


20  MY   LADY    PRIDE. 

from  a  chair  surrounded  by  a  batch  of  dress  materials,  an8 
came  toward  her. 

ik  Is  that  you,  Miss  Carlisle?  How  do  you  do?"  she  ex- 
claimed in  a  quiet,  alert,  but  musical  voice,  very  much  what 
a  linnet's  would  be  if  it  could  speak  in  the  Iruman  tongue. 
u  How  kind  of  you  to  come  so  soon!  " 

By  this  time  she  had  reached  Floris,  who  stood  with  her 
fmv  to  the  window,  and  stopped  short,  with  a  stare  of  open- 
eyed  wonder  and  delight  that  would  have  been  amusing  if  it 
had  not  been  rather ' startling. 

"'  Oh  !  "  she  exclaimed.     "  Why,  they  never  told  me — 

Then  she  stopped  again  and  peered  up  at  Moris,  with  her 
little  head  on  one  side,  and  laughed  chirpingly. 

"  My  dear,  how  ridiculously,  how  absurdly  beautiful  you 
are !  " 

Floris  strove  hard  not  to  blush  at  this  sudden  and  knock- 
down compliment,  but  the  crimson  flooded  her  sweet  face. 

"  Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon !  That's  just  me !  Offend  you 
the  moment  you  come  into  the  house-!  But  you  mustn't 
mind  me,  dear ;  it's  my  way.  Have  you  had  any  lunch  ?  "  she 
broke  off,  her  head  on  one  side,  her  bright,  bird-like  eyes 
fixed  on  Floris's  rather  bewildered  face. 

"  Yes,  thank  you,  Lady  Pendleton,"  she  said. 

"  You  shall  have  a  glass  of  wine.  I'll  ring  for  it.  No  ? 
Then  come  and  take  your  things  off." 

"But,"  Floris  said,  "are  you  sure  that  I  shall  suit?  I 
mean — 

"  Oh,  don't  say  that  you  won't  stay ! "  Lady  Pendleton  ex- 
claimed, pathetically.  "  Of  course  you'll  suit!  I  knew  that 
the  moment  I  saw  you.  I  didn't  catch  your  name.  What 
was  it,  anyhow,  my  dear?" 

"My  name?     Carlisle — Floris  Carlisle. 

"  Floris !  What  a  pretty  name !  I  wish  they  had  given 
me  a  name  like  that  instead  of  Elizabeth!  There  was  a 
Devonshire  Carlisle  I  used  to  know — a  very  great  man.  Any 
relation?"  \ 

"  Yes,"  said  Floris,  gently.  "  We  are  Devonshire  peo- 
ple" 

"Eeally?  How  charming!  Quite  a  coincidence,  as  Bruce 
would  say.  I  hope  you'll  like  Bruce,  my  dear.  Most  people 
do.  Poor  Bruce!  They  say  the  old  gentleman  himself  is 
not  half  so  bad  as  he's  painted;  and  I  am  sure  Bruce  is  not* 
He's  Sir  Edward's  cousin^  you  know/' 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  21 

Moris  didn't  know,  but  she  murmured  "Yes,"  and  Lady 
(Pendleton  ran  on  very  fast: 

"  Poor  Bruce !  Don't  you  believe  half  they  say  about  him, 
my  dear.  It  is  all  scandal.  But  come  and  take  your  things 
off.  You  look  tired.  It  is  my  chatter.  Sir  Edward  says  I 
could  talk  the  hind  leg  of  a  horse  off;  but  that's  his  rudeness. 
'I'm  sure  he  talks  enough  in  the  house.  Come  along,  my 
dear;  I'll  show  you  your  rooms.  I  hope  you  won't  be  dull. 
I'm  glad  we've  got  a  dinner  party  to-night.  It  will  be  more 
cheerful  for  you ;  and  I'm  glad  Bruce  is  coming.  But  mind  " 
—holding  up  a  tiny  forefinger — "  no  falling  in  love  with  Lord 
Bruce ! " 

Flpris  laughed  softly. 

"  Very  well,  Lady  Pendleton,  I  will  not  fall  in  love  with 
Lord  Bruce!" 

Fateful  words! 


CHAPTEE  III. 

AN   EXTRAORDINARY   STORY. 

FLORIS  found  herself  in  a  small  but  luxuriously  furnished 
room,  which  had  evidently  been  prepared  for  her  use,  there 
being  a  writing-table  and  boo^-case,  and  a  comfortable  sofa, 
in  addition  to  the  usual  furniture  of  a  bedroom.  In  fact,  the 
apartment  was  half  a  sitting-room. 

Lady  Pendleton  followed  her  and  looked  round  question- 
ingly. 

"  I  do  hope  you  will  be  comfortable,"  she  said,  earnestly. 
"  1  know  you  ought  to  have  a  sitting-room  of  your  own;  but 
the  house  is  so  small — I  mean  for  suites  of  rooms." 

"  Oh,  indeed  this  is  very  nice  and  comfortable ! "  said 
Floris. 

"Well,  my  dear,"  said  Lady  Pendleton,  looking  over  her 
shoulder,  "  you  will  want  to  rest,  I  dare  say.  You'll  hear  the 
dressing-bell." 

"  Lady  Pendleton,"  said  Floris,  with  a  sudden  flush,"  I 
think  you  said  that  you  have  a  dinner  party.  Had  I  not  bet- 
ter— I  mean — shall  I  not  be  in  the  way  ?  " 

Her  ladyship  raised  her  finely-drawn  eyebrows. 

"  Bless  me,  no,  dear !     Besides,  it  is  only  a  small  one.     Oh, 


g£  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

come  down  it  you  can.     If  you  would  really  rather 
why—  " 

But  Ftoris  inclined  her  head  as  humbly  as  she  could. 

"  Oh,  no !     Of  course  I  will  come  down  if  you  wish  it." 

"  That's  all  right/'  said  her  ladyship,  cheerfully.  "  Come 
down  by  all  means.  It  will  freshen  you  up;  not  that  you 
look  as  if  you  wanted  freshening,  my  dear/'  and  with  a  very 
pleasant  nod  and  a  little  smile  she  went  out. 

Floris  sank  on  a  sofa  in  a  state  bordering  on  bewilderment. 

It  was  all  so  different  to  what  she  had  expected.  Instead 
of  being  received  with  haughty  politeness  and  freezing  con- 
descension, she  had  been  welcomed  rather  as  a  friend  than  a 
servant. 

"  Who  was  Lord  Bruce  ?  "  Floris  wondered ;  "  and  why 
should  her  ladyship  take  such  pains  to  inform  her  of  his 
wickedness,  and  warn  her  against  falling  in  love  with  him  ?  " 

It  was  of  him  she  was  thinking  when  the  second  bell  rang 
and  a  servant  knocked  at  the  door. 

"  Her  ladyship  didn't  know  whether  you  would  be  able  to 
find  your  way  to  the  drawing-room,  miss,"  she  said,  and 
Floris,  with  her  sweet  voice  thanking  her,  followed  the  girl 
through  the  corridor  and  down  to  the  hall. 

The  big  drawing-room  was  brilliant  with  innumerable  wax 
candles,  and  Floris  felt  too  confused  by  the  light,  and  the 
hum  of  conversation,  to  distinguish  any  one  for  a  moment, 
but  Lady  Pendleton  came  out  toward  her  from  a  little  group 
of  ladies  and  nodded  pleasantly. 

"  So  glad  you  have  made  up  your  mind  to  join  us,"  she 
said,  and  then  with  her  head  on  one  side  she  turned  to  one  of 
the  young  ladies. 

"  My  new  companion,  Miss  Carlisle :  Lady  Glenloona." 

The  lady — whose  name  Floris  remembered  as  that  of  one  of 
the  fashionable  personages  of  the  day — put  up  her  eyeglasses 
and  nodded,  with  a  languid  smile,  and  Floris,  to  avoid  any 
further  introductions,  drew  a  little  apart  and  sat  down. 

Lady  Pendleton  flitted  away  to  two  or  three  gentlemen, 
and  'Floris  was  wondering  which  was  Sir  Edward,  when  the 
door  opened  and  a  little  man,  with  a  worried,  tired  look  came 
in,  and  made  for  Floris  with  outstretched  hand. 

"  Sorry  I'm  late,"  he  said,  in  a  quiet,  yet  bored  voice. 
"  Been  kept  at  the  committee  meeting.  Hope  you  are  not 
tired  of  waiting." 

Floris  flushed  and  stood  up,  but   at  the  moment  Lady 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  23 

Pendleton  flitted  up  to  them  and  took  her  husband,  for  it 
was  Sir  Edward,  by  the  arm. 

"  That  is  my  new  companion,  Edward/'  she  said,  with  a 
birdlik*  laugh.  "  How  late  you  are !  Dinner  is  waiting !  " 

"  I  beg  your  pardon/'  he  muttered  to  Floris.  "  Glad  to 
see  you." 

Then  shooting  one  keen  glance  at  her,  he  allowed  himself 
to  be  led  away  to  make  his  apologies  in  the  proper  quarterSo 
But  still,  though  the  butler  hovered  around  the  room,  and 
the  footman  hung  about  as  if  ready  and  waiting,  dinner  was 
not  announced. 

"  So  annoying !  "  exclaimed  Lady  Pendleton.  "  We'd  bet- 
ter go  in ! " 

The  gentlemen  thereupon  made  for  the  ladies  allotted  to 
them,  and  there  being  one  or  more  of  the  fair  sex  than  of  the 
rough,  Floris  modestly  drew  back  to  follow  the  rest  by  her- 
self. 

But  fate — well,  say  chance — had  ruled  that  she  should  not 
go  in  alone.  As  she  reached  the  door,  there  was  a  little  con- 
fusion in  the  double  file,  and  Lady  Pe&dleton's  voice  was 
heard  in  good-humored  complaint. 

"Oh,  Bruce,  here  you  are!  Keally,  it  is  too  bad!  Can't 
you  keep  .time  ?  Haven't  you  got  a  watch  ?  Well,  I'm  glad 
you  have  come!  Will  you  please  take  in  the  countess — and 
you,  Mr.  Parkis,  if  you  please —  " 

"Oh,  don't  disturb  yourselves,  please,"  said  a  voice,  deep, 
full,  and  yet  strangely  musical  and  attractive. 

The  sort  of  voice  that  makes  hearers  turn  their  heads  to 
see  the  speaker.  "  The  voice  with  a  character  behind  it,"  as 
Swift  says ;  and  Floris  saw  a  tall  figure  standing  in  the  door- 
way. He  waited  until  they  had  all  passed  but  herself,  then 
came  slowly  into  the  room. 

Floris  looked  up  ?nd  saw  a  tall,  broad-shouldered  man 
with  the  handsomest  face  she  had  ever  pictured,  and  her 
imagination  was  not  a  poor  one !  But  for  the  moment 
only  one  feature  of  the  face  struck  her — the  eyes.  Calmly, 
masterfully,  they  rested  upon  her  face,  as  if  they  took  in  the 
whole  of  her  person  in  an  instant,  measuring  her,  weighing 
her  and  judging  her,  mind,  body,  and  soul.  One  forgot, 
while  under  the  gaze  of  those  eyes,  that  the  rest  of  the  face 
was  handsome,  that  the  nose  was  straight,  or  the  lips,  as  seen 
under  the  dark  mustache,  clearly  eut,  ®r  the  abort  hair  dark 


24  MY   LADY   PRIDE, 

or  fair;  all  she  could  do  was  to  meet  those  0<fes  and  try  to 
satisfy  them. 

It  was  not  until  he  looked  away  from  her  that  Floris 

noticed   how   strangely   well   the   evening   dress   sat   on   the 

stalwart,  graceful  figure,  or  that  the  one  ungloved  hand  was 

'white  and  shapely   as   a  woman's,   yet   strong-looking   as   a 

laborer's. 

Then  his  gaze  returned  to  her,  and  with  a  slight  inclina- 
tion of  the  partrician,  he  quickly  said : 

"  I  am  more  fortunate  than  I  deserve.  Will  you  allow 
me  ?  "  and  offered  her  his  arm. 

Floris  tried  to  call  up  some  commonplace  remark,  but 
failed,  and  in  silence  permitted  him  to  take  her  to  the  dining- 
room.  His  place  had  been  reserved  for  him  near  the  hostess, 
but  with  a  disregard  which  in  another  would  have  seemed  a 
rudeness,  he  sunk  into  the  chair  next  Floris's,  and  the  com- 
pany had  to  reshuffle  themselves. 

"  For  what  we  are  going  to  receive,"  mumbled  Sir  Edward; 
the  butler,  anxious  about  his  delayed  dinner,  cut  the  rest 
short  and  the  meal  commenced. 

There  was  a  chatter  and  buzz  as  the  soup  went  round, 
but  Lord  Bruce  uttered  not  a  word.  He  had  not  spoken 
when  the  fish  gave  place  to  the  entree,  but  he  was  careful  to 
put  the  menu  card  near  Floris,  and  once,  when  a  footman, 
new  to  his  duties,  offered  her  champagne,  said  "  Hock." 

Floris  wondered  whether  he  meant  to  maintain  silence 
during  the  whole  of  the  meal;  but  suddenly,  and  yet  slowly, 
and  as  if  he  had  been  talking  all  the  time?  he  turned  his  eyes 
on  her. 

"  Have  you  been  to  the  concert  to-day  ?  " 

"No,"  answered  Floris;  "I  only  arrived  in  London  this 
afternoon.  What  concert  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"Albani's.     Don't  suppose  that  I  have  been;  I  never  go  to 
Concerts.     Who  is  that  old  lady  opposite?" 
I  don't  know,"  faltered  Floris. 

"  I  have  seen  her  somewhere.  One  never  knows  half  the 
people  Betty  gets." 

"You  must  include  me  in  the  half,"  said  Floris,  with  a 
smile 

"Fairly  hit!  "he  said. 

The  buzz  of  conversation  went  on  for  a  while,  then  sudden- 
ly Lady  Pendleton's  thin,  birdlike  voice  rose  above  all  the 
others. 


MY   LADY    PRIDE.  25 

"  Oh,  Bruce !  "  she  exclaimed,  in  a  little  flutter  of  excite- 
ment,, "  this  isn't  true  that  Lady  Glenloona  is  telling  me,,  is  it, 
now?  She  says  that  you  are  getting  your  yacht  ready,,  and 
are  going  to  the  Levant '' 

He  turned  to  Lady  Glenloona,,  who  did  not  seem  over- 
pleased  at  being  quoted  so  publicly. 

"  Lady  Glenloona  is  always  well-informed,"  he  said.  "  Yes, 
Betty,  I  am  going  to  the  Levant." 

"•Oh,  it  is  too  ridiculous!"  exclaimed  Lady  Pendleton,, 
with  an  injured  air.  "  Just  as  everything  is  moving  too —  " 

"  That  is  why  I  am  moving." 

"  Oh,  you  know  what  I  mean  !  Don't  be  provoking !  The 
season  is  just  at  its  height,  and  I  want  to  get  about !  Who  is 
to  take  me  if  you  go  off  in  that  stupid  yacht,  pray  ?  Can't  you 
go  sailing  about  when  the  season  is  over — 

"And  it  is  wet,  and  cold,  and  generally  stormy?  Thanks! 
Are  you  fond  of  the  sea  ?  " 

The  question  was  addressed  to  her,  not  so  suddenly,  but  so 
unexpectedly  that  Floris,  who  had  been  listening  to  this  pas- 
sage of  arms  with  curious  amusement,  turned  her  face  to  him  a 
little  vaguely. 

"  The  sea  ?  Oh,  yes !  I  don't  know  much  about  it.  I  have 
never  done  much  sailing,  if  that  is  what  you  mean.  It  must 
be  very  delightful  to  get  away  from  London  while  it  is  hot  and 
sunshiny,  and  sail  about  the  Mediterranean." 

"  Yes,"  he  assented,  but  not  very  eagerly.  "At  any  rate 
one  may  as  well  do  that  as  anything  else." 

By  this  time  it  would  seem  as  if  he  had  finished  his  dinner, 
for  he  put  his  arm  on  the  back  of  his  chair,  and  regarded  her 
with  a  calm,  yet  not  obtrusive  attention,  and  into  his  eyes 
stole  the  appreciative  expression  of  a  keen  critic  more  than 
satisfied. 

Floris,  happening  to  look  in  his  direction,  caught  his  eyes 
fixed  thus  upon  her,  and  a  faint  thrill  ran  through  her,  which 
almost  made  her  angry. 

Who  was  this  Lord  Bruce,  who  was  treated  as  a  favored' 
mortal,  and  allowed  the  privileges  of  a  small  despot,  and  why  I 
should  he  look  at  her  as  if  she  were  a  picture  on  approval  ? 

And  yet  there  was  nothing  disrespectful  in  the  .gaze  he 
fixed  on  her ;  its  very  openness  deprived  it  of  rudeness  and 
made  it  a  compliment. 

"  Now,  don't  let  Sir  Edward  talk  you  all  asleep  on  poli- 
tics ! "  said  Lady  Pendletoa,  with  charming  candor.  "And, 


26  MY   LADY    PRIDE. 

Bruce,  mind  you  come  into  the  drawing-room.  I  want  yon 
to  do  something  for  me." 

Floris  followed  the  rest  of  the  ladies  into  the  drawing-room 
in  "  fine  amaze,"  as  Spenser  says.  It  was  her  first  introduc- 
tion to  such  society  as  that  of  to-night,  and  it  amused  and 
yet  puzzled  her. 

Lady  Pendleton  carried  Lady  Glenloona  into  a  corner  to 
see  some  plates  which  she  had  recently  purchased,  and  Floris, 
seated  a  little  apart,  was  left  alone.  She  wondered  whether 
she  was  expected  to  do  anything,  and  was  quite  relieved 
when  Lady  Pendleton,  looking  over  her  shoulder,  said,  quite 
humbly : 

"  Oh,  would  you  mind  playing  something,  dear,  or  singing ; 
just  to  keep  us  awake  till  the  tea  comes  ?  " 

Floris  thought  that  it  would  be  far  kinder  to  sing  them 
something  to  send  them  to  sleep,  and  going  to  the  piano^ 
played  a  sonata. 

She  was  not  a  skilled  musician,  and  she  knew  it;  but  she 
had  a  sweet  voice,  and  waiting  until  the  buzz  of  talk,  which 
always  begins  at  the  sound  of  a  piano,  ceased,  she  sung  a 
simple  little  ballad. 

It  was  a  song  which  she  used  to  sing  to  her  mother,  and 
she  was  half  sorry  that  she  had  chosen  it,  for  it  brought  the 
tears  to  her  eyes  and  made  her  voice  tremulous.  Perhaps 
on  that  account  it  affected  her  listeners,  for  when  she  had  got 
through  one  verse  she  found  the  attention  of  the  half-slum- 
bering audience  riveted  upon  her. 

Then  she  began  to  feel  nervous  and  would  have  stopped 
short,  but  remembering  that  she  was  fufilling  part  of  her 
duties  as  a  lady's  companion,  she  went  bravely  on. 

When  she  had  finished  she  looked  round,  and  saw  that  the 
gentlemen  had  entered  very  quietly,  and  that  Lord  Bruce 
was  standing  near  her,  his  hands  folded  behind  him,  his  eyes 
fixed  on  her  face  with  an  expression  that  was  almost  sad; 
instantly  it  vanished,  and  gave  place  to  the  usual  calm  im- 
passiveness,  and  he  came  close  beside  her. 

"  That  is  a  very  pretty  song,"  he  said,  in  his  low,  grave 
voice.  "  Will  you  not  sing  us  another  ?  " 

Floris  shook  her  head  with  a  smile. 

''  You  might  not  think  the  next  one  so  pretty,"  she  said. 

He  bowed  with  a  faint  smile,  as  if  struck  by  the  answer, 
ancl  walked  away.  In  an  instant  Floris  caught  herself  re- 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  £7 

gretting  that  she  had  made  it,  and  then,  ashamed  that  she 
should  feel  any  regret,  resumed  her  former  seat. 

The  footman  brought  in  the  tea  equipage,  and,  still  intent 
upon  making  herself  useful,  she  got  up  and  went  to  the 
table. 

"  Can  I  help  you,  Lady  Pendleton  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Oh,  will  you  ?  Thanks ! "  responded  her  ladyship, 
eagerly.  "It  is  very  kind  of  you !  "  and  she  gave  up  her  chair 
with  alacrity. 

Floris  supplied  two  footmen,  and  sent  them  around  with 
the  tea,  and  was  pouring  out  a  cup  for  herself,  when  she 
heard  two  ladies  talking  behind  her  in  a  suppressed  whisper 
and  knew  that  they  were  talking  of  Lord  Bruce. 

"  Not  going  away  so  suddenly  in  the  middle  of  tha  season 
for  nothing/'  murmured  one  of  them. 

"  I  should  imagine  not/'  assented  the  other,  with  that 
eagerness  which  denotes  the  scandal-lover.  "  I  wonder  what 
it  is.  Quite  quietly,  too.  Hadn't  even  told  Lady  Pendleton. 
Some  mischief,  depend  upon  it.  One  does  hear  such  dread- 
ful stories  about  him !  Not  that  I  believe  them,  or  one-half 
of  them !  Wasn't  there  some  talk  of  his  being  engaged  to  his 
cousin,  Lady  Blanche  ?  " 

"  Oh,  that  was  some  time  ago.  It  would  have  been  a 
good  match  for  him  then,  but  now  things  are  altered.  He 
doesn't  want  to  marry  money.  Dear  me,  I  never  did  believe 
quite  in  his  affection  for  Lady  Blanche." 

Floris,  with  a  strange  feeling  of  disappointment,  turned  and 
stopped  the  conversation  by  asking  them  if  they  would  take 
some  more  tea,  and  receiving  a  cold,  haughty  negative,  re- 
turned to  the  cups  again. 

Several  guests  took  their  departure,  and  Sir  Edward,  mut- 
tering something  about  "the  house,"  stole  out, as  if  glad  to 
get  away;  but  Lord  Bruce  still  stayed  on. 

Floris  got  up  and  seated  herself  in  a  retired  nook,  and  got 
an  album  containing  the  usual  number  of  plain  people  in  un- 
natural attitudes,  when  Lord  Bruce  rose,  looked  across  at  her 
hesitatingly  for  a  moment,  then  came  and  seated  himself  by 
her  side. 

"  The  social  pillory/'  he  said,  nodding  at  the  album. 
"  Shall  I  tell  you  who  is  who  ?  or,  perhaps,  you  know  them 
all?" 

"  No ;  I  know  no  one  here,"  said  Floris. 

"  Then  shut  it  up  and  let  us  talk/'  he  said,  and  he  took  the 


28  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

heaw  took  from  her  and  laid  it  on  the  table.  "  Do  you  knew 
thii4  xiy  cousin— perhaps  you  don't  know  that  Lady  Pendle- 
top  is  my  cousin  ?  " 

"  No/'  said  Floris. 

"  She  is,  alas !  or  she  says  she  is ;  I  am  not  quite  sure.  A 
cousin  fourteen  times  removed,  I  think.  At  any  rate,  she  is 
so  much  of  a  cousin  that  she  thinks  that  she  is  at  liberty  to 
avail  herself  of  my  valuable  services." 

"  Yes,"  said  Floris.  "  You  were  going  to  tell  me  some- 
thing-" 

"  Yes.     Well,  my  cousin  fourteen  times  removed  has  been] 

exceedingly  unkind  to-night.     I  asked  her  to  tell  me  who  and1 

^,what  was  the  lady  I  had  the  honor  to  tjjke  in  to  dinner,  and — 

she  refused.     It  was  ungrateful  of  her,  but  I  have  no  appeal 

excepting  to  you." 

"  Oh,  I  am  Lady  Pendleton's  companion,"  said  Floris, 
simply. 

He  did  not  express  any  surprise,  if  he  felt  any,  but  leaned 
forward,  his  dark  eyes  fixed  on  her  face. 

As  they  sat  thus,  Lady  Pendleton  passed  them  on  her  way 
across  the  room,  and  paused  a  moment  to  exchange  a  word. 

"  How  thoughtful  you  look,  Bruce !  I  really  think  you 
must  be  in  love." 

He  smiled  absently,  then  sat  up. 

"  That  was  a  foolish  speech  of  my  cousin's,"  he  said.  "  But, 
like  the  random  shaft,  it  struck  home.  She  is  quite  right.  I 
am  in  love." 

Floris  turned  to  him  with  a  smile. 

"  Do  you  wish  me  to  commiserate  your  lordship  ? "  she 
said. 

"  If  you  please,"  he  answered,  gravely,  "  and  for  this  rea- 
son, that  I  am  in  love  with  a  young  lady  whom  I  have  never 
Keen  whose  name  I  have  only  read.  Think  of  it !  To  be  in 
love  with  the  mere  imagination !  Not  to  know  the  object  of 
one's  passion  by  sight !  to  pass  her,  perhaps,  in  the  street, 
and  yet  be  unaware  that  she  is  she.  It  is  hard,  is  it  not  ? '  : 

"  Very !  "  said  Floris,  smiling  again. 

"  Shall  I  tell  you  how  it  happened  ?  "  he  asked,  after  a 
pause,  during  which  several  other  guests  took  their  departure. 

"  If  you  like,"  said  Floris. 

"  It  is  a  strange  experience,"  he  began,  in  a  low  voice,  with 
the  manner  of  one  communicating  with  himself  as  well  as  ad- 
dressing a  listener.  You  must  know  that  my  family  has 


MY  LADY   PRIDE.  29 

been  under  a  cloud  for  several  years  past — for  a  couple  of 
generations  back.  Did  you  ever  read  the  story  of  the  Old 
Man  of  the  Sea — the  old  person  who  got  on  Sindbad's  back, 
and  couldn't  be  got  rid  of  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes !  " 

"  Well,  we  have  had  an  old  man  of  the  sea  on  our  family 
back ;  his  name  was  '  Chancery  Lawsuit ' — What  is  the  mat- 
ter ?  "  for  Floris,  whose  eyes  had  been  wandering  round  the 
'room  dreamily,  started  slightly  and  looked  at  him. 

"  Nothing/7  she  said,  averting  her  eyes  again !  "  Please  go 
on." 

"  The  suit  has  been  running  for  generations,  and  it  has 
made  each  generation  poorer  than  the  last,  so  that  the  old 
man  threatened  to  kill  Sindbad  right  out.  I,  as  the  last  of 
my  family,  was  reduced  to — well,  perhaps  I  had  better  not 
tell  you  all  that  I  was  reduced  to,  in  case  you  should  not  be- 
lieve me;  and  I  should  not  like  that." 

Floris  listened  to  the  leisurely,  musical  voice  with  a  growing 
wonder  in  her  mind.  How  singular  a  conincidence !  He  had 
described  the  actual  state  of  the  Carlisle  family ! 

"Now  comes  the  extraordinary  part  of -the  story.  Lo  and 
behold!  with  very  little  warning  and  no  great  fuss  to  speak 
of,  the  great  case  comes  to  a  close,  and  greatly  to  my  aston- 
ishment I  am  informed  that  I  am  the  victor.  The  particulars 
and  details  I  allowed  to  go,  but  the  main  result  was  satis- 
factory. I  was  proclaimed  the  victor,  and  learned  that  » 
great  portion  of  the  lands  and  moneys  and  houses  were  com- 
ing back  to  me.  Judge  of  my  astonishment  when  I  was  in- 
formed by  my  lawyer  that  my  deadly  foes  were  represented  by 
two  women;  an  old  lady  and  her  daughter —  What  is  the 
^matter?" 

Floris  had  started  with  a  sudden  movement,  and  her  face 
had  flushed,  then  turned  pale. 

"  You  are  tired !  I  forgot  that  you  had  traveled  some  dis- 
tance to-day.  Pray  forgive  me !  My  story  will  keep  till  some 
other  time!"  and  he  half  rose. 

"  No,  no !"  said  Floris,  in  a  very  low  voice.  "  I  am  not 
tired,  I  am  not,  indeed !  Pray  go  on  !  I  am  very  much — in- 
terested, my  lord !" 

He  was  silent  for  a  moment,  and  then  resumed. 

"  Yes,  an  old  lady  and  her  daughter.  I  asked  how  the  re- 
sult of  the  trial  would  affect  them,  and  was  told  that  they 
would  be  nearly  ruined.  That  is  to  say,  that  in  addition  to 


30  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

losing  the  estate  we  had  been  squabbling  over,  they  would 
have  to  pay  their  own  costs  of  the  last  trial.  I  asked  the 
amount,  and  learned  that  it  was  five  thousand  pounds." 

Moris  sat  perfectly  motionless,,  but  her  fingers  clasped  each 
other  so  tightly  that  where  they  met  the  flesh  went  whiter 
than  snow. 

"  I  was  startled  and  perplexed  and  upset.  I  am  not  an  im- 
pulsive man,  but  I  acted  on  an  impulse  of  the  moment,  and 
requested  my  lawyers  to  tell  the  other  side  that  I  should  con- 
sider it  an  honor  if  they  would  permit  me  to  pay  their  clients' 
costs.  I  am  sure  you  are  tired,"  he  broke  off,  as  Floris  leaned 
back  and  put  her  fan  up  to  her  face., 

"  No,"  she  answered,  almost  curtly ;  "  please  go  on." 

"  Well,  the  lawyers  wouldn't  accept  the  money  without  con- 
sulting their  clients,  and  so — and  so" — he  paused,  as  if  he 
were  coming  to  a  part  of  the  story  which  was  not  pleasant  in 
the  telling — "  one  of  them  went  down  to  make  the  offer.  Now, 
you  are  a  woman,  what  do  you  think  was  their  answer?" 

"  I  cannot  guess.  You  must  tell  me,  please,"  murmured 
Floris. 

He  was  silent  a  moment,  then  with  his  eyes  fixed  thought- 
fully on  the  glass,  he  said: 

"  They  refused.  It  was  an  unkind  thing  to  do.  It  was  as 
if  I  had  insulted  them  and  they  had  raised  their  small  hands 
and  struck  me.  I  say  '  they/  but  in  reality  it  was  the  daugh- 
ter, the  girl.  The  mother  would  have  accepted,  but  the 
.daughter  refused  emphatically,  sternly  and  scornfully.  If 
you  want  to  know  how  scornfully,  read  this,"  and  he  drew  a 
sheet  of  note-paper  from  his  waistcoat-pocket. 

Floris  turned  her  eyes  toward  it,  but  did  not  offer  to  take  it. 

"  I  will  read  it,"  he  said,  "  so  that  you  may  understand  ex- 
actly how  I  feel : 

"  'A  Carlisle  demands  justice,  not  charity,  and  having  re- 
ceived the  former,  has  no  desire  to  become  the  recipient  of 
the  latter,  even  though  it  should  be  at  the  hands  of  the  Eari 
of  Norman/ 

"  That  was  her  reply  to  my  offer.  It  struck  me  like  a 
blow!  If  it  had  come  from  a  man  I  should  have  put  it  in  the 
fire,  shrugged  my  shoulders,  and  forgotten  it.  But  from  a 
young  girl !  I  cannot  forget  it,  though  I  have  tried  hard  to 
do  so.  I  have  thought  of  her  so  much  during  the  last  week, 
since  I  got  this  note,  that  she  has  become  part  and  parcel  of 
my  life.  1  am,  as  it  were,  under  a  spell.  Her  scornful  eyes 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  31 

are  always  resting  on  mine,  inspiring  me  with  the  intense 
longing  to  try  and  soften  them ;  her  voice  rings  in  my  ears,  so 
that  I  am  possessed  with  a  restless  desire  to  hear  her  utter 
some  kinder  words,  more  fitting  to  her  sweet,  girlish  lips.  In 
short,  from  thinking  about  her,  1  have  grown  to  love  her — to 
love  a  thing  of  aerial  imagination,  a  woman  whom  I  have 
never  seen  and  probably  never  shall  see,  who,  if  I  met  her, 
would  turn  from  me  as  from  one  who  had  done  her  a  great 
wrong  and  inflicted  a  heavy  insult !  Now,  please,  do  you  not 
even  pity  me?" 

*'  Floris  sat  silent,  her  face  hidden  by  the  fan,  which  fluttered 
•to  and  fro  slowly,  as  if  moved  by  a  machine,  her  eyes  down- 
cast, her  lips  quivering  with  the  shame  and,  torture  of  her 
situation. 

"You  do  not?  I  am  sorry.  Somehow,  I  expected  your 
sympathy,  and  that  is  why  I  told  you  my  story.  I  have  told 
it  to  no  one  else,  and  I  shall  not  tell  it.  But  it  is  quite  a  true 
one,  and  the  fascination,  the  spell  under  which  I  am  held  is 
so  great  that  I  am  going  to  try  strong  measures  to  get  rid  of 
it.  In  a  mind  diseased — no,  I  will  not  say  diseased — pos- 
sessed by  such '  a  delusion,  illusion,  charm,  spell,  whichever 
you  like  to  call  it,  there  is  no  cure  like  change  of  scene.  There- 
fore you  understood,  though  my  cousin  never  will,  for  I 
shall  never  tell  her,  why  I  have  ordered  my  yacht  and  am  off 
to  the  Mediterranean.  I  am  going  to  take  the  vision  of  Floris 
Carlisle  out  with  me,  and  drop  it,  with  the  memory  of  it,  in 
the  blue  sea,  in  the  hope  that  it  will  sink,  and  rise  to  haunt 
me  no  longer.  As  for  the  note,  well,  I  will  keep  that  to  re- 
.mind  me  when  I  am  old  and  gray,  and  on  the  verge  of  the 
grave,  that  I  once  loved  a  girl  whom  I  had  never  seen,  and 
whose  only  words  addressed  to  me  were  the  written  ones  of 
scorn — contempt !" 

There  was  a  subtle  music  in  his  voice  that  rung  deep  down 
in  Florists  heart  and  made  her  tremble. 

,      She  tried  to  rise,  and  had  succeeded  in  making  an  effort, 
I  when  Lady  Pendleton  flitted  toward  them. 
,      "  My  dear  Bruce,  how  kind  of  you  to  stay !     And  what 
have  you  two  been  talking  about?"  with  her  head  on  one 
jside. 

"  I  have  been  giving  miss — this  young  lady — an  account  of 
the  various  fishes  and  shells  to  be  found  within  the  Mediter- 
ranean circle,  my  dear  Betty,"  he  answered^  instantly,  and 
with  calm  gravity. 


32  MY  LADY   PRIDE. 

"  Eeally  ?  I  didn't  know  you  knew  anything  about  them, 
or  anything  else  that  was  useful.  It  is  very  good  of  you  to 
listen  to  him,  my  dear  " — to  Floris.  "And  now,  Bruce,  about 
this  fancy  fair.  You  must  stay  for  it!  I  must  have  you 
down  among  the  patrons.  See  how  well  your  name  would 
read  !  '  Patrons :  H.  E.  H.  the  Prince  of  Wales,  etc.,  etc. — 
all  the  royal  family,  you  know — and  then  '  the  Eight  Honor- 
able, the  Earl  of  Norman — 

Floris's  head  sunk  lower.  Yes,  his  name  was  Norman ! 
But  why,  oh,  why  had  she  not  known  it  before?  Why  did 
they  call  him  Bruce? 

"  Fll  think  it  over  and  let  you  know  in  the  course  of  two 
or  three  months,  Betty/''  he  said  rising. 

Lady  Pendleton  shrieked. 

"  Two  or  three  months !  Why,  the  fair  is  next  week !  You 
are  the  most  provoking  of  men,  Bruce;  now  isn't  he,  Miss 
Carlisle?" 

The  name  was  spoken  at  last. 

He  was  looking  for  his  opera  hat  while  she  had  been  speak- 
ing, but  at  the  sound  of  the  name  he  stopped  and  turned 
silently,  but  slowly,  round  upon  them. 

"  What  on  earth  is  the  matter  ?  Why  do  you  look  at  her 
like  that?  Why,  Bruce,  you  have  grown  quite  pale;  hasn't 
he,  dear?" 

"  What  name  did  you  say  ?"  he  asked,  his  eyes  fixed  upon 
Floris's  downcast  face  with  its  closely-shut  lips  and  white 
brow,  wrinkled  under  her  burden  of  shame  and  confusion. 

"  What  name  ?  Whose  name  ?  Miss  Carlisle's !  This  young 
lady's  name  is  Miss  Floris  Carlisle,"  and  she  laid  her  hand  on 
Floris's  arm. 


CHAPTER   IV. 


CARLISLE  !  Lord  Bruce  Norman  stood  with  his  hat  in  hie 
hand,  his  eyes  fixed  on  Floris's  face,  his  own  almost  stern 
with  the  shock  of  surprise  the  name  had  caused  him. 

As  for  Floris,  she  tried  to  meet  the  intent  gaze  with  a  calm, 
steadfast  regard,  but  her  eyes  drooped,  and  her  face  grew 
flushed. 

"  Why,  yes !    And  why  not?    What  is  the  matter  with  you 


MY  LADY  PRIDE.  33 


RpthP*  demanded  Lady  Pendleton,  volubt/,  /^u  look  as 
if  you  had  seen  a  ghost,  Bruce,  and  you,  Mi&s  Carlisle,  as  if 
you  had  been  caught  doing  something  especially  naughty  !" 

Lord  Norman  was  one  of  the  first  to  recover. 

With  a  grim  smile  he  took  his  eyes  off  the  beautiful,  down- 
cast face,  and  turned  them  to  his  cousin  with  a  kind  of  pity- 
ing amazement. 

,      "Don't  be  alarmed,  Betty,"  he  said,  quietly;  "I  didn't 
,  know  that  I  had  caught  the  name  rightly.     I  think  I  will  go 
now,"  and  he  gave  her  his  hand,  his  eyes  wandering  again  to 
Floris's  face,  pale  and  proud  once  more. 

"  Now  mind,  Bruce  !"  exclaimed  Lady  Pendleton,  clinging 
to  his  hand,  and  covering  a  yawn  with  her  fan  at  the  same 
time.  "  You  are  to  come  to-morrow,  and  help  us  with  your 
valuable  suggestions  about  the  fancy  fair  costumes;  isn't  he, 
my  dear?" 

"  I  will  not  promise,"  he  said,  abruptly.     "  Good-night/' 

He  held  his  hat  in  his  hand,  looking  to  see  if  Floris  would 
extend  her  hand,  but  she  merely  inclined  her  head,  and  with 
a  very  low  but  stern  bow  he  left  them  together. 

Lady  Pendlefcon  dropped  into  a  chair  with  a  little  laugh  and 
looked  at  the  door  through  which  he  had  passed. 

"Dear  Bruce!  Isn't  he  handsome,  my  dear?  Not  dolli- 
fied,  you  know  —  I  hate  your  pretty  men  —  but  right  down 
handsome." 

"  Why  do  you  call  him  Bruce  —  and  not  Lord  Norman  ?" 
asked  Floris,  almost  abruptly. 

"  Because  we  always  called  him  Bruce  while  his  father  was 

%  alive,  and  can't  get  out  of  the  way  now,  my  dear,"  said  Lady 

*  Pendleton.     "  We  used   to  be  playmates.     I  was  always  a 

favorite  of  his.     Perhaps  —  "  she  sighed,  then  laughed.    "  But 

he  was  so  poor  and  Sir  Edward  was  so  pressing.     You've  no 

idea  what  a  good  fellow  my  husband  is,  my  dear  !"  quickly— 

"the  very  best  in  the  world!     And  now,,  good-night.     Shall 

I  come  up  to  show  you  your  room?" 

But  Floris  would  not  permit  this,  and  assuring  her  lady- 
ship that  she  could  find  the  way  by  herself,  went  to  her  own 
room. 

When  she  fell  asleep,  after  hours  of  wakefulness,  it  was  but 
to  dream  that  Lord  Bruce  stood  before  her,  the  fatal  sheet 
of  paper  in  his  hand,  the  dark  eyes  fixed  reproachfully  upon 
her. 

Lord  Norman  descended  the  steps,  and  stood  for  a  moment 


34  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

looking  absently  out  at  the  quiet  street,  but  when  a  cab 
pulled  up,  he  shook  his  head,,  and  strode  off  with  the  air  of  a 
man  too  restless  to  sit  quiet.  He  passed  out  into  Park  Lane 
and  down  beside  the  railings,  and  crossed  the  road  into  Ox- 
ford Street. 

Then  he  paused,  half  resolved  to  go  to  his  club,  but  turned, 
westward  instead,  and  reaching  a  quiet  street  beyond  the  maiV' 
ble  arch,  rung  the  bell  of  one  of  the  houses  which,  palatial  in* 
size,  was  divided  into  sets  of  chambers.  f 

Ascending  to  his  own  suite,  he  opened  the  door  with  his 
key,  and  entered  a  luxuriantly  decorated  and  furnished  sit- 
ting-room. 

The  rays  of  the  lamp,  standing  on  the  sandal-wood  table, 
fell  upon  Persian  hangings  and  Fez  china,  on  delicately  inlaid 
Chippendale  chairs,  and  tapestry-covered  lounges. 

For  some  time  he  walked  to  and  fro,  his  brows  knit,  his  dark 
eyes  flashing  with  the  intentness  of  his  thoughts ;  then  he  drew 
the  sheet  of  note-paper  from  his  pocket,  and  held  it  over  the 
lamp,  as  if  he  had  suddenly  arrived  at  some  decision!  But 
fis  the  paper  began  to  curl  and  turn  brown  with  the  heat  he 
drew  it  away. 

"  No,  I  cannot !  What  is  the  good  of  burning  it  when  the 
girl's  face,  and  her  voice,  and  the  very  turn  of  her  head, 
possess  and  haunt  me!  How  beautiful  she  is!  How  beau- 
itful !" 

With  a  sigh  he  turned  out  the  lamp  and  went  into  the  next 
room.  It  was  the  dressing-room,  between  the  sitting-room 
and  bedchamber,  and  was  dimly  lighted  by  a  shaded  lamp, 
held  in  the  hands  of  a  Venus  Aphrodite. 

There  was  a  couch  and  a  couple  of  chairs,  besides  the  in- 
evitable bath,  and  Lord  Norman  was  taking  off  his  coat,  when 
suddenly  from  the  couch  there  rose  a  man. 

Lord  Norman  started,  and  stood  perfectly  motionless. 
With  a  yawn  the  man  stretched  himself  and  stood  upright, 
and,  in  doing  so,  presented,  in  form  and  feature,  an  almost 
perfect  copy  of  Lord  Norman  himself.  Excepting  that  the 
earl  was  in  evening-dress  and  the  man  in  a  well-worn  suit  of 
serge,  the  resemblance  in  figure  was  almost  complete. 

Lord  Norman  did  not  start,  but  stood  as  if  turned  to  stone. 
The  awakened  man  yawned,  and  stared  vacantly  for  a  mo- 
ment, then,  rubbing  his  eyes,  exclaimed: 

"Is  that  you,  Bruce ?* 


MY  LADY  PRIDE.  35 

"Raymond!"  exclaimed  Lord  Norman,  sternly.  "What 
brings  you  here?  Why  have  you  come?" 

The  man  called  Raymond  laughed  out  loud. 

"  That  means  a  long  story ;  and  you  hate  long  stories, 
don't  you?     You  always   did!     I've  come  from  Australia. 
Why  have  I  come  ?     Because  I'd  nowhere  else  to  go !     Where/ 
should  I  go,  but  to  my  old  friend,  Bruce  Norman?"  and  the 
visitor  smiled  with  ineffable  satisfaction,  as  if  he  had  answered  j 
the  question  completely. 

"  How  did  you  make  your  way  in  here  ?"  Lord  Norman 

askec^ 

"  I  told  your  man — capital  valet  you've  got,  Bruce ! — that 
I  was  your  brother,  .and,  convinced  by  the  likeness  that  I 
spoke  the  truth,,  he  let  me  in!" 

"  Listen  to  me,  Raymond,"  said  Lord  Norman,  regarding 
him  gravely,  and  almost  sternly ;  "  if  any  one  were  told  that 
I  found  you  lying  here  in  one  of  my  rooms  at  midnight,  they 
would  conclude  that,  as  you  are  no  relation  of  mine,  there 
was  some  tie  of  friendship  or  interest  between  us,  would  they 
not?  Beyond  the  fact  that  we  were  school-fellows,  that  we 
spent  some  foolish,  youthful  days  together,  and  that  you  are 
said  to  resemble  me,  what  claim  have  you  upon  me?" 

"  None  at  all !"  responded  the  other,  after  a  moment's 
pause.  "  Did  I  ever  say  that  I  had  ?" 

"Acts  speak  more  plainly  than  words  sometimes.  Why 
are  you  here  in  my  rooms  at  midnight?" 

"  For  the  best  of  all  possible  reasons,  my  dear  Bruce !  Be- 
cause I  haven't  anywhere  else  to  go.  I'd  go  to  a  hotel  if  I 
could,  but  I  haven't  a  penny.  Of  course,  if  I  am  unwelcome 
I  will  go.  I  don't  need  to  be  told  twice.  You  are  looking 
well — and  yet  slightly  worried;  that  comes  of  being  a  noble, 
you  see !  Now,  if  you  were  simple  Oscar  Raymond,  you  would* 
loofe  as  careless  as  I  do.  Good-night,"  and  he  took  up; 
his  hat,  a  soft  felt,  much  the  worse  for  wear,  and  moved1 
toward  the  door. 

"  Wait,"  said  Lord  Norman,  following  him.  "  I  am  sorry 
that  I  spoke  harshly  to  you;  but  when  I  saw  you  so  unex- 
pectedly, I  remembered  one  or  two  similar  visits  that  you  had 
paid  me  in  the  old  days ;  I  could  not  forget  that  I  had  given 
you  a  large  sum  of  money  to  enable  you  to  leave  the  country, 
and — " 

"  I  ought  to  have  stopped  there/'  Raymond  finished  for 


36  MY  LADY  PRIDE, 

him.  "  So  I  ought.  But,  upon  my  word,  Bruce,  five  years 
—-of  stone-breaking  is  sufficient  for  any  man — 

Lord  Norman  looked  at  the  white  hands  significantly. 

"  When  I  say  stone-breaking,  of  course  I  speak  figuratively. 
If  I  haven't  been  stone-breaking,  1  have  been  doing  things 
equally  unpleasant." 

"  Well,  I  will  give  you  some  money/'  said  Lord  Norman. 
"  I  don't  ask  you  to  leave  England  again,  but  I  do  trust  that 
your  visits  to  me  will  be  few  and  far  between." 

As  he  spoke — not  unpleasantly,  bufc  with  a  grave  smile — he 
went  to  a  cabinet,  and,  unlocking  a  drawer,  took  out  some 
money,  and  without  counting  it  laid  it  on  the  table. 

Kaymond's  dark  eyes  gleamed  for  a  moment  in  a  peculiar 
fashion,  which  transformed  his  handsome  face  into  anything 
but  a  pleasant  one;  then,  with  a  sudden  laugh,  he  took  up 
the  money  and  dropped  it  into  his  coat  pocket. 

«  Thanks  !" 

Lord  Norman  turned  to  the  cabinet  and  took  out  a  de- 
canter and  a  glass  and  some  biscuits, 

As  he  did  so  his  sleeve  knocked  down  an  ivory  box,  and  a 
pack  of  cards  fell  out.  While  he  was  filling  the  glass  with 
wine,  Baymond's  eyes  were  fixed  on  the  cards,  and  the  same 
gleam  which  had  shone  in  theni  before  now  lighted  them  up. 

Slowly  he  drunk  the  wine  and  set  the  glass  down,  then  he 
stooped  and  picked  up  the  cards,  and  in  an  absent  kind  of 
way,  began  to  shuffle  them. 

"  Do  you  remember  the  ecarte  we  used  to  have,  Bruce  ?" 

Lord  Norman  nodded. 

"  You  used  to  play  a  good  game — almost  as  good  as  I  did. 
It  is  some  months  since  I  touched  a  card." 

He  glanced  at  the  clock,  and  turned  his  face,  with  a  smile 
of  peculiar  winningness,  half  playful,  half  mournful,  to  Lord 
Norman's. 

"  Bruce,  let  us  have  one  game !  Just  for  auld  laflg  syne ! 
Humor  the  returned  wanderer  upon  tvhom  you  have  lavished 
your  gold — by  trying  to  win  it  back  again !"  and  he  laughed 
a  soft,  musical  laugh  that  few  would  have  been  able  to  with- 
stand. 

Lord  Norman,  with  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders,  dropped  into 
a  chair  beside  the  little  table. 

The  game  proceeded.  Raymond  chatted  and  Lord  Bruce 
replied  now  and  again  in  indifferent  monosyllables;  and  the 
luck,  which  had  smiled  on  the  earl  from  the  beginning,  re- 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  37 

mained  faithful  until  one  solitary  sovereign  stood  beside  Ray- 
mond's elbow. 

"  The  last  !"  he  exclaimed.  "  Let  us  see  whether  it  will 
follow  the  others,  or  call  them  back !" 

Strange  to  say,  the  luck  seemed  to  change,  and  game  after 
game  fell  to  Raymond*  His  face  grew  flushed,  his  eyes 
sparkled.  A  pile  of  gold  and  notes  stood  on  the  spot  where 
the  solitary  sovereign,  had  stood  and  Lord  Norman,  with  a 
smile,  rose  to  fetch  some  more  money  from  the  cabinet. 

As  he  did  so  he  happened  to  glance  in  the  small  mirroi 
over  the  mantel,  and  saw  something  that  made  him  turn 
crimson  and  then  pale  and  stern. 

He  said  nothing,  however,  but  brought  some  notes  and  gold 
from  the  cabinet  and  returned  to  his  seat. 

The  game  proceeded  and  reached  a  point  at  which  the  first 
man  who  scored  would  win. 

Kaymond  held  the  cards  in  his  hand,  and  looked  up  sud- 
denly. 

"  Bruce,"  he  said,  "  this  must  be  our  last  game !  What  do 
you  say  now,  double  or  quits  ?" 

Lord  Norman  nodded,  and  with  a  dexterous  movement  Ray- 
mond swept  his  pile  of  money  into  the  middle  of  the  table. 

"  Double  or  quits !"  he  said.  "  By  heavens,  if  I  win  this  I 
will  swear  never  to  play  another  game — until  the  next  oppor- 
tunity !"  and  he  laughed.  "Are  you  ready  ?  It  is  your  deal ! 
Now  I  mean  to  play  my  very  best." 

"  Just  so,"  said  Lord  Bruce,  "  but  before  we  begin,  hadn't 
we  better  see  whether  all  the  kings  are  in  the  pack !"  and  very 
quietly,  but  with  terrible  strength,  he  seized  Raymond's  arm, 
forced  it  up,  and  took  the  king  of  diamonds  from  his  sleeve. 

There  was  a  moment's  awful  silence  as  the  two  men  looked 
into  each  other's  eyes — like  the  reflection  of  one  face,  so  alike 
were  they  in  features,  but  fearfully  unlike 'in  expression. 

Slowly  Lord  Norman  got  up. 

"  Raymond,  you  were  once  a  gentleman — or  I  would  throw 
you  out  of  the  window.  Go !"  and  he  pointed  to  the  door. 

Raymond  got  up  slowly,  and  as  if  with  difficulty,  and 
moistened  his  lips.  . 

"  Bruce,  I  swear  to  you  that — that  this  is  the  first  time — " 

Lord  Norman  then  smiled,  a  cold,  awful  smile. 

"  Oh,  do  not  think  that  I  am  about  to  deprive  you  of  your 
booty,  sir.  You  forget  that  I  could  not  take  it  back  " — and 
he  pointed  to  the  heap  of  money — "  you  have  touched  it !" 


38  MY  LADY  PRIDE. 

'     4k 

Raymond  stretched  out  his  trembling  hands  and  drew  the 
heap  toward  him,  then  with  a  sudden  gesture  of  renunciation, 
he  raised  his  dark  eyes  with  the  sinister  gleam  in  them. 

"No!  I  will  not  take  it.  But  some  day,  perhaps,  Lord 
Norman,  you  will  wish  that  I  had !  1  always  hated  you,  but, 
before  Heaven,  I  never  hated  you  as  I  hate  you  to-night! 
Take  care,  or  I  shall  pay  you  back  for  that  insult !  Take  care 
lest  the  cheat,  whose  very  touch  jou  deem  defilement,  prove 
clever  enough  to  win  his  revenge !" 

Without  another  word  the  detected  cheat  passed  out. 

Lord  Norman  stood  musing  grimly  for  a  few  minutes.  It 
was  quite  impossible  to  sleep  in  his  present  mood,  and  h« 
thought  he  would  take  a  turn  in  the  now  quiet  streets.  A*  he 
passed  westward,  he  came  to  a  large  house  standing  at  the 
corner  of  a  square.  The  house  was  the  town  residence  of  the 
Duchess  of  Cliefeden,  and  a  ball  was  in  progress.  There  was 
just  time  to  look  in,  and  with  a  listless  step  he  entered,  passed 
through  the  crowd  of  footmen,  who  recognized  him  and  made 
way  with  respectful  alacrity,  and  ascended  the  stairs.  The 
immense  saloon  was  still  crowded,  though  the  ^all  was  draw- 
ing to  a  close,  and  Lord  Norman  could  only  make  his  way 
slowly  through  the  throng  of  dancers  and  the  knots  of  people 
chatting  and  laughing  together. 

He  found  the  duchess  at  last.  Her  grace  was  looking  very 
sleepy  and  rather  bored,  and  she  almost  frowned  as  Lord 
Norman  came  up. 

"Aren't  you  ashamed  to  come  near  me?"  asked  her  grace. 

"  I  am.  "  Quite !"  he  said,  quietly.  "And  I  have  come  to 
tell  you  so." 

He  remained  for  a  few  minutes,  until  he  had  won  her  for- 
giveness for  his  late  appearance,  then  wandered  on  again. 

"  If  you  are  looking  for  Lady  Blanche  you  will  find  her  in 
the  south  anteroom.  At  least  she  was  there  five  minutes 
ago,"  said  her  grace ;  and  he  went  to  the  anteroom  leading  to 
the  grand  staircase. 

Seated  on  an  ottoman  was  a  very  beautiful  woman,  just  past 
girlhood.  She  was  very  fair,  with  thick,  silken  hair  that 
was  almost  the  color  of  pure  gold,  its  brightness  being  re- 
lieved by  eyes  of  dark,  velvety  brown,  that  at  certain  timea 
were  almost  black,  and  eyebrows  of  rich  auburn.  In  addition 
to  her  grace  and  her  beauty,  Lady  Blanche  was  possessed  of 
that  rarest  gift  in  woman — an  exquisite  voice,  capable  of 
Arresting  the  attention  and  keeping  it  as  closely  fixed  while 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  39 

she  spoke  as  if  the  hearer  were  under  a  spell.  She  was  an 
heiress  in  her  own  right,  with  houses  an&  lands  enough  to 
make  the  penniless  sons  go  wild  with  longing.  They  thronged 
round  her,  and  tried  their  hardest  to  win  her,  but  to  one  and 
all  she  had  only  one  answer — the  soft,  clear  monosyllable: 

"  No !" 

Lord  Norman  stood  at  the  entrance  of  the  anteroom,  look- 
ing at  the  group  within.  They  made  quite  a  picture,  the 
little  circle  of  men — young  and  old — with  the  beautiful  wo- 
man in  the  center,  leaning  back,  with  her  face  moving  to  and 
j  cro  listlessly,  her  dark  eyes  fixed  dreamily  on  the  ground,  the 
colorless  cheeks  swept  by  the  long,  black  lashes. 

Suddenly  she  raised  her  eyes  and  saw  Lord  Norman  stand- 
ing in  the  doorway;  it  would  be  too -much  to  say  that  she 
blushed,  but  the  faintest  of  all  possible  colors  flickered  in  her 
cheeks,  and  her  eyes  grew  softer  and  lighter  for  a  moment 
before  they  were  lowered  to  the  ground  again. 

Lord  Norman  advanced  to  the  group,  and  the  man  who 
had  been  bending  over  her  and  endeavoring  to  engage  her 
attention,  looked  up,  saw  who  it  was,  and  with  a  shrug  of 
resignation  at  once  straightened  himself  and  made  room. 

Lord  Bruce  changed  greetings  with  some  of  the  men,  then 
sunk  down  beside  Lady  Blanche,  and,  in  a  few  minutes  the 
little  circle  of  courtiers,  like  jackals  at  the  appearance  of  the 
lion,  quietly  vanished. 

"Where  have  you  been,  Bruce  ?"  she  asked. 

"  I  dined  at  Lady  Betty's,"  he  replied. 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  she  said,  with  a  smile.  "  But  since  ?  It 
is  nearly  three." 

"I  have  been  to  my  rooms." 

Slowly  the  dark  eyes  were  raised  to  his  face,  rested  there 
for  a  second  or  two,  as  if  they  were  reading  every  line  in 
then  the  soft  voice  murmured,  listlessly: 

"  Has  Lady  Betty  found  a  companion  yet  ?" 

He  leaned  back  and  looked  around  the  room  carelessly,  too 
carelessly  by  far,  before  he  answered : 

"  Yes," 

"Ah,  yes,  I  remember!  Mr.  Parks  told  me.  A  remark- 
ably pretty  girl,  with  black  eyes." 

"  No,  they  are  gray,"  he  said,  and  in  that  short  speech  he 
had  told  her  all  she  had  been  quietly  angling  for.  Her  eyes 
drooped,  but  not  before  a  swift  light  had  shone  in  them,  and 
the  fan  closed  and  fell,  feather-like,  in  her  lap.  He  had  no- 


40  MY  LADY   PRIDE. 

ticed  this  girl  so  particularly  as  to  remember  the  exact  color 
of  her  eyes. 

Unknown,  unguessed  at  by  all,  there  lay  hidden  behind 
that  calm,  placid  exteripr,  a  latent  passion,  which  burned 
within  her  heart  as  the  fire  beneath  an  Iceland  geyser.  The 
fire  glowed  fiercely  at  this  moment,  fed  by  the  oil  of  jealousy, 
but  there  was  no  trace  of  emotion  in  the  soft,  equal  voice,  as, 
rising,  she  said : 

"  Will  you  find  papa,  Bruce  ?     I  would  like  to  go  now !" 

He  got  up  and  gave  her  his  arm,  and  hunted  for  Lord  Sey- 
tnour,  whom  they  found  yawning  in  a  corner,  evidently  just 
awakened  from  a  nap,  and  with  the  old  peer  -grumbling 
drowsily  at  their  heels,  they  went  down  to  the  hall. 

With  extreme  care  and  gentleness  he  arranged  the  fur  cloak 
round  the  white  shoulders,  and  put  her  into  the  carriage. 

"You  will  come  and  see  me  to-morrow,  Bruce ?"  she 
said. 

"  Yes,  of  course.  Good-night,"  he  replied,  and  turned 
away. 

The  carriage  door  closed,  and  the  overfed,  fidgety  horses 
sprung  forward  so  suddenly  that  they  nearly  knocked  down  a 
man  who-  was  crossing  the  road  at  the  moment.  The  coach- 
man, with  a  carefully  suppressed  oath,  pulled  up  short,  and 
the  man  got  to  the  pavement.  As  he  did  so,  Lady  Blanche 
looked  out  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  and  the  man  caught  a 
glimpse  of  her  face,  upon  which  the  light  from  the  windows 
was  now  streaming.  In  an  instant  Eaymond — for  it  was  he — 
recognized  the  original  of  a  portrait  which  he  had  seen  in 
Lord  Norman's  room.  More  than  that,  he  had  caught  in  the 
dark  eyes  and  colorless  face  a  look  of  passionate  jealousy 
which  Lady  Blanche  had  suppressed  while  Lord  Norman  had 
been  with  her. 

It  was  not  much  for  a  man  to  work  upon  as  a  leverage  for 
doing  a  fellow-mortal  an  injury,  but  Oscar  Eaymond  was  not 
an  ordinary  man,  and  it  was  enough  for  him. 

With  a  smile  and  a  nod,  he  crossed  the  road,  and,  setting 
off  at  a  jog-trot,  followed  the  carriage  to  Lord  Seymour's 
house  in  Eton  Place. 


ITT  LADY  PRIDB.  41 

CHAPTEE   V. 

A     HARD     PUNISHMENT. 

FLORIS  was  just  finishing  dressing  on  this  her  first  morn- 
ing "  in  service,"  and  the  breakfast  bell  was  clanging  through 
the  house,  when  she  heard  a  knock  at  her  door,  and  a  strong 
voice,  with  a  decidedly  French  accent,  requesting  permis- 
sion to  enter. 

Floris  opened  the  door,  and  saw  a  tall,  thin,  French  girl, 
with  small,  dark  eyes  that  instantly  fixed  themselves  on 
Floris's  face,  and  just  as  quickly  sought  the  ground  again. 

"  Pardon,  mam'selle,  I  am  her  ladyship's  maid.  Her  lady- 
ship's " — she  paused  just  a  second — "  compliments  " — Lady 
Pendleton  had  said  "  love  " — "  and  would  mam'selle  kindly 
attend  at  milord's  breakfast  table  ?  Miladi  is  unwell." 

"  Certainly,"  said  Floris.  "  Will  you  tell  her  ladyship  that 
I  am  sorry  she  is  unwell,  please?" 

The  girl  bowed,  and  Floris  hurried  down-stairs.  She  was 
late ;  and  it  was  a  bad  beginning ;  but  she  had  slept  but  little, 
and  that  restlessly.  The  French  maid  made  a  pretense  of 
following  her,  then  she  stole  back  to  the  bedroom,  and,  with 
deliberate  carefulness,  made  a  complete  examination  of  the 
wardrobe  and  every  article  of  Floris's  which  she  had  left  un- 
secured. 

"Ah,  yes!"  she  murmured.  "A  fine  lady,  but  poor!  No 
rings,  no  bracelets,  no  rich  dresses;  but  beautiful,  and  miladi 
will  think  her  an  angel !  Bah !  I  shall  hate  her !  I  know 
it !  I  feel  it !  Something  tells  me  that  Mam'selle  Carlisle 
and  Josine  will  be  at  daggers  drawn.  We  shall  <eee !"  and  with 
a  shrug  she  arranged  a  wisp  of  her  black,  coarse  hair  in  the 
glass  and  left  the  room. 

Floris  hurried  down-stairs  to  the  breakfast-room.  A  foot- 
man was  carrying  in  some  hot  dishes,  and  Sir  Edward  was 
seated  at  the  table  with  the  Times — containing  a  full  report 
of  his  last  night's  speech — and  a  heap  of  letters. 

He  rose  as  she  entered,  and  his  weary  face  lightened  for  a 

moment  at  the  vision  of  fresh,  young  beauty,  and  his  eyes 

rested  upon  the  simple  cotton  dress,  that  fitted  so  admirably, 

with  an  expression  of  vague  admiration  jpd  satisfaction. 

*Lady  Pendleton  is  unwell  this  morning;  but  no  doubt 


42  MY  LADY   PRIDE. 

they  have  told  you,"  he  said,  as  if  anxious  to  avoid  any  un- 
necessary words. 

"Yes,"  said  Floris,  with  ready  tact.  "I  am  very  sorry. 
Coffee,  Sir  Edward?" 

Sir  Edward  glanced  at  her  approvingly.  Had  his  wife  at 
last  got  a  treasure  ?  At  any  rate,  a  girl  with  such  a  face,  and 
such  ready  tact  as  to  condense  a  question  into  two  words, 
must  be  worth  having. 

She  gave  him  his  coffee,  and  took  some  bacon  in  exchange, 
and  Sir  Edward  ate  his  breakfast,  looked  over  his  speech, 
opened  his  letters,  and  penciled  drafts  of  the  answers  in  the 
corner  for  his  secretary  to  amplify. 

Presently  he  pushed  the  letters  from  him,  and  took  up  his 
cup,  regarding  her  attentively. 

"  I  hope  you  are — that  you  will  be  comfortable  with  us, 
Miss  Carlisle,"  he  said. 

"  I  am  sure  that  I  shall,  sir,"  she  answered. 

He  knocked  his  spoon  against  his  cup  thoughtfully,  with  a 
preoccupied  air. 

"  If  there  is  anything  you  require — but  my  wife  will  see  to 
that — I  meant  to  say,  that  if  you  want  anything  in  the  shap^ 
of  reading,  please  get  what  you  want  from  the  library.  Here 
is  the  key." 

It  was  .a  great  concession,  if  Floris  had  only  known  it. 

A  servant  came  to  the  door. 

"  The  brougham,  Sir  Edward." 

He  jumped  up  with  the  alacrity  ctf  a  clerk  making  a  dash 
for  his  train  or  'bus,  and  commenced  to  bundle  his  letters  into 
a  dispatch -case  with  one  hand,  while  he  took  up  his  coffee-cup 
with  the  other. 

Floris  rose. 

"  Will  you  let  me  put  them  in  for  you  ?"  she  said,  quietly, ; 
and  neatly  and  quickly  she  packed  them  in  orderly  fashion  in, » 
the  case. 

"  Thank  you,  thank  you !"  said  Sir  Edward.  "  I've  a  com- 
mittee meeting  this  morning  at  eleven,  another  at  one,  and— 
thank  you !"  and  with  a  final  glance  of  surprised  satisfaction, 
he  seized  the  case  from  Floris,  his  hat  and  cane  from  the  ser- 
vant, and  hurried  out. 

The  next  question  now  arose :  what  was  she  to  do  next  ?  It 
occurred  to  her  that  she  would  go  up  and  ask  how  Lady  Pen- 
dleton  was.  She  wgnt  and  knocked  at  her  ladyship's  door 
softly,  and  received  the  response  of  "  Come  in." 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  43 

"It  is  I,  Lady  Pendleton,"  she  said,  thinking  that  she 
might  have  mistaken  her  for  the  maid. 

"  Come  in.  Yes,  I  knew  it  was  you,  my  dear ;  I  knew  by 
your  knock.  All  the  rest  of  them  hammer/'  said  her  lady- 
ship. 

She  was  sitting  up  in  bed,  wrapped  in  an  elaborate  dressing- 
robe,  with  a  cup  of  chocolate  by  her  and  a  French  novel  face 
downward  on  the  satin  coverlet. 

"Are  you  better?"  asked  Floris. 

"  Yes,  it  was  only  a  headache.  I  hope  you  enjoyed  your- 
self last  night,  and  weren't  too  tired!  I  am  sure  you  ought 
to  be  very  gratified — it  was  enough  to  make  you  vain,  my 
*  dear." 

"  To  make  me  vain  ?"  queried  Floris. 

"Yes,  the  attention  you  got.  Especially  from  Bruce!  I 
never  knew  him  so  attentive.  As  *a  rule  he  is  quite  too  savage 
— a  perfect  boor !  I've  known  him  to  sit  for  an  hour  and  not 
open  his  lips,  and  then  get  up  and  go  away.  I  do  hope  he 
won't  go  on  that  stupid  yachting  excursion  until  after  the 
fair !  Of  course,  you  will  help  me  at  my  stall !  You  will 
create  quite  a  sensation,  my  dear,  and  that  will  be  so  nice!" 

Floris  laughed  softly. 

"  Why  do  you  laugh,  my  dear  ?     Are  you  laughing  at  me  ?" 

"  Certainly  not,  your  ladyship,"  said  Floris.  "  But — but  I 
was  wondering  whether  it  would  not  be  rather  out  of  place  for 
a  companion  to  make  a  sensation." 

As  she  spoke  the  maid  came  in,  with  the  slightest  apology 
for  a  knock. 

"Lord  Norman's  in  the  drawing-room,  miladi." 

Lady  Pendleton  uttered  a  little  cry  of  delight. 

"  So  soon !  My  dear,  he  has  come  to  say  that  he  will  stay 
over  for  the  fair !  I  thought  that  he  would !  Oh,  dear,  and 
I'm  not  dressed !  Do  go  down  and  see  him  now,  Floris  !  Toll 
him  I  have  a  headache — caused  by  his  obstinacy  last  night." 

"  Perhaps  he  will  wait  until  you  are  dressed,"  said  Floris, 
in  a  low  voice,  "  or  call  again  later  in  the  day,  Lady  Pen- 
dleton?" 

"  Wait  till  I  am  dressed !"  exclaimed  her  ladyship,  with  a 
laugh.  "  Not  he !  He  wouldn't  wait  for  an  empress." 

Floris  still  stood  by  the  window,  with  Josine  looking  from 
one  to  the  other  in  respectful  silence. 

"Will  you  not  write  him  a  note?"  suggested  Floris. 

Her  ladyship  laughed  again. 


44:  MY  LADY  PRIDE. 

"He  would  scarcely  read  it!  My  dear,  you  don't  knaw 
Bruce.  He  is  one  of  the  most  trying  of  men.  No,  you  go 
down  and  see  what  you  can  do  with  him;  please  do,  and 
secure  him  for  the  fair." 

Floris  went  out  of  the  room  and  down  the  stairs.  She 
paused  for  a  moment  at  the  drawing-room  door,  and  the 
flush  gave  place  to  a  cold  paleness  that  lent  an  air  of  pride  and 
/reserve  to  her  sweet,  beautiful  face. 

\  Lord  Norman  was  sitting  across  a  chair,  his  arms  folded 
on  the  back.  He  was  dressed  in  a  riding  suit  of  broad  check, 
and  held  a  whip  in  his  hand. 

"Well,  Betty ,"  he  said,  without  looking  round,  "have  I 
roused  you  from  your  slumbers  sweet  and  deep?" 

Getting  no  answer,,  he  turned  his  head  and  saw  Floris 
standing  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  the  sunlight  falling  upon 
her  fresh,  young  loveliness,  and  lighting  up  streaks  of  gold  in 
her  brown  hair. 

He  sprung  to  his  feet,  dropping  his  whip,  and  went  to- 
ward her. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  murmured.    "  I  thought — " 

"Lady  Pendleton  has  a  headache,  my  lord,  and  has  not 
yet  left  her  room,"  said  Floris,  and  in  her  effort  to  seem 
perfectly  self-possessed,  her  voice  sounded  cold  and  repellent. 

"  I  am  very  sorry,"  he  said. 

Then  he  stood  switching  his  leg  with  his  whip  for  full  a 
minute. 

"  I  will  tell  her  ladyship,"  said  Floris,  and  she  half  turned 
to  the  door. 

"  One  moment,  Miss  Carlisle,"  he  said.     "  I — "  he  stopped, 
and  his  dark  eyes  flashed  toward  her  face — "  I  am  favored  by 
chance  in  thus  seeing  you  so  soon — and  alone." 
!      Floris  stood  calm  and  cold  as  a  statue,  but  with  a  heart 
that  fluttered  in  her  bosom  like  an  imprisoned  bird. 
I     "I  will  avail  myself  of  the  opportunity  which  chance  has 
given  me,  Miss  Carlisle,  to  beg  your  pardon." 

"  My  pardon  ?"  said  Floris. 

"  Your  pardon,"  he  repeated ;  "  and  I  do  beg  it  most  hum- 
bly. Last  night,  in  complete  ignorance  of  your  name  and 
identity,  I  made  a  statement,  moved  by  an  impulse  which 
was  too  strong  for  my  control,  that  must  have  sounded  in 
your  ears  like  an  impertinence.  Miss  Carlisle,  I  humbly  beg 
your  pardon!" 


MV   LADY   PRIDE.  45 

Moris  raised  her  eyes  for  a  moment  to  look  at  him,  then 
dropped  them  again. 

"  It  is  granted,  my  lord/'  she  said,  coldly.  "  It  was  my 
fault ;  I  ought  to  have  stopped  you ;  I  ought  to  have  told  you 
who  and  what  I  was." 

"  My  foe — the  woman  I  have,  all  unintentionally,  ruined," 
he  murmured. 

"  ISTo,  my  lord,  you  have  done  me  no  injury.  If  we  have 
suffered,  it  is  through  the  law." 

There  was  a  moment's  silence,  during  which  he  stood  look*  ( 
ing  at  her  and  flicking  his  whip  restlessly,  then  Floris  raised  \ 
her  eyes. 

"  Her  ladyship  requested  me  to  ask  you,  Lord  Norman,  if 
you  would  remain  in  England  and  assist  her  in  the  fancy 
fair?"  she  said,  reluctantly. 

He  turned  toward  her. 

"Are  you  going  to  take  part  in  this  affair?"  he  asked. 

"  I  do  not  know.  I  shall  do  so  if  Lady  Pendleton  wishes 
me,  my  lord." 

"Are  you  interested  in  this  fancy  fair?  Do  you  care 
whether  I  remain  for  it,  or  are  you  simply  the  mouthpiece  of 
Betty?" 

"  It  is  a  matter  of  perfect  indifference  to  me,  my  lord, 
whether  you  remain  or  go,"  she  replied,  haughtily. 

"  Oh,  I  know  that !"  he  rejoined,  hastily.  "  You  misunder- 
stand me !  I  know  that  my  presence  must  be  hateful  to  you, 
and  that  if  you  could  have  your  wish  you  would  never  see  me 
again.  I  am  quite  cognizant  of  your  feelings  toward  me,  alas ! 
But  for  the  fair's  sake,  would  you  wish  me  to  stay,  Miss 
Carlisle?" 

"  I  know  nothing  about  it,"  said  Floris. 

"  Then  please  tell  Betty  that  I  don't  care  a  fig  for  her  fair ; 
that  I  won't  have  anything  to  do  with  it,  and  that  if  she  uses 
my  name  I  will  never  forgive  her,"  he  said,  morosely. 

"  Very  good,  my  lord,"  she  said,  and  turned  to  leave  him. 

He  waited  until  she  had  reached  the  door,  then  spoke  her 
name.  J 

"Wait,"  he  said;  "I  have  changed  my  mind.  You  can 
tell  her  that  I  will  do  what  she  wants  in  this  fool's  business, 
and  she  may  stick  my  name,  if  it's  of  any  use  to  her,  all  over 
the  place.  Is  that  any  better,  Miss  Carlisle  ?" 

"  I  have  no  doubt  that  Lady  Pendleton  will  think  it  mucK 


46  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

the  better  answer  to  her  message/'  said  Floris,  with  perfect 
self-possession.     "  Good-morning,  my  lord." 

"  One  moment  more,  please,"  he  said,  reluctant  to  let  her 
go.  "  I  think  you  said  last  night  that  you  were  fond  of 
music  ?" 

Floris  inclined  her  head.     She  did  not  rememb.er  saying  it; 
but  as  it  was  true  she  let  the  assertion  pass. 
;      "  I  have  bought  a  box  for  the  opera  for  Betty  and  you,"  he 
\said.     "  Will  you  tell  her  that  I  will  call  for  her  soon  after 
dinner  ?" 

Floris  bowed,  without  a  word  of  thanks. 

He  strode  toward  her  and  held  out  his  hand. 

"  In  token  of  your  forgiveness,  will  you  s*iake  hands,  Miss 
Carlisle  ?  I  have  noticed  with  more  pain  th«i  I  can  describe 
that  you  have  hitherto  refused  to  do  so." 

Floris  extended  her  soft,  white  hand  slowly,  <md  he  took  it 
and  held  it  firmly  grasped  in  his — so  firmly  that  she  could  not 
withdraw  it. 

Lord  Norman  got  on  his  horse  and  clattered  down  the 
street.  He  got  the  best  box  he  could  tfrat  was  vacant,  then 
rode  to  Covent  Garden  and  purchased  a  couple  of  very  hand- 
some bouquets. 

"Directing  these  to  be  sent  to  his  rooms,  he  turned  his  horse 
in  the  direction  of  Eton  Place,  and  as  he  neared  it,  the  cloud 
on  his  face  by  no  means  lightened. 

A  groom  took  his  horse  round  to  the  stables,  and  a  foot- 
man, in  answer  to  his  inquiry  for  Lady  Blan^Jie,  at  once  ad- 
mitted him  and  passed  him  on  to  another,  who  showed  him 
upstairs  into  a  small  drawing-room. 

Lady  Blanche,  in  her  riding  habit,  was  seated  at  a  table 
writing  a  letter.  She  did  not  rise  as  he  came  in,  and  merely 
smiled  as  she  held  out  her  hand. 

"  It  was  very  good  of  you^  to  come  so  early/'  she  said, 
in  her  soft,  low  voice,  which  if  he  had  loved  her,  would  have 
made  him  turn  and  take  her  in  his  arms,  so  inviting  and 
caressing  was  it. 

"  Oh,  I  have  nothing  else  to  do,"  he  said.  "  What  did  yon 
want  me  for,  Blanche?" 

"  Well,  for  one  thing,  to  ask  you  about  the  Lynches.  They 
have  asked  us  to  Ballyfloe  for  the  first  fortnight  in  the  au- 
tumn. I  would  not  give  an  answer  until  I  knew  whether  you 
were^going,  because — well,  the  reason  is  too  obvious.  Are  von 
not  immensely  flattered,  sir?" 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  47 

"Very,"  he  said,  forcing  a  smile,  and  feeling  uncomfort- 
able and  guilty.  "  My  dear  Blanche,  don't  throw  the  respon- 
sibility on  me !  You  might  not  enjoy  yourself,  and  then  what 
remorse  would  fall  to  my  lot !" 

"Oh,  I  shall  enjoy  myself/'  she  said,  "especially  if  you 
come  down." 

He  beat  a  tattoo  on  the  window  with  his  whip. 

"  Then  of  course  I  will  go  down  to  Ballyfloe." 

"  How  kind  of  you,  Bruce !"  she  murmured. 

He  bit  his  lip.  He  had  just  left  one  beautiful  woman, 
who  could  find  not  one  gracious  word  for  him,  and  here  was 
another  who  thanked  him  for  nothing  at  all.  And  yet  in  his 
heart  he  felt  as  if  he  would  rather  have  had  the  one  gracious 
word  from  Floris  than  the  sweetly-voiced  thanks  of  Lady 
Blanche,  and  cursed  himself  for  a  fool  because  it  was  so. 

"And  what  is  the  other  thing  ?"  he  asked,  more  genially. 

"  Oh,  it  is  about  this  fancy  fair  of  the  duchess's,  Bruce. 
She  has  asked  me  to  take  a  stall.  Would  you  go  if  you  were 
me?" 

"  My  dear  Blanche,"  he  protested,  with  a  laugh,  "  how  can 
I  possibly  tell  what  I  should  really  do  if  I  were  you?  Go,  I 
suppose." 

"Very  well,  I  will  go.  And,  Bruce,  you  won't  mind  help- 
ing me,  will  you  ?" 

"  I  should  be  very  glad,  Blanche,  but  I  have  promised  to 
perform  the  same  vague  office  for  Lady  Betty." 

She  did  not  relax  her  smile,  but  her  white  eyelids  dropped 
over  the  brown  eyes  for  an  instant. 

"  Really !     Well,  I  must  look  out  for  some  one  else." 

"  Were  you  going  for  a  ride  ?"  he  asked,  getting  away  from 
the  very  awkward  subject. 

"  Yes,  and  you  are  riding,  too !  Do  you  mean  to  come  with 
me,  Bruce  ?  " 

"  If  you  will  allow  me,"  he  said. 

She  looked  pleased,  and,  crossing  the  room,  rung  the  bell 
and  ordered  her  horse.  As  she  did  so  she  saw  something 
sticking  in  the  lining  of  his  hat. 

It  was  the  box  ticket,  which,  after  the  manner  of  forgetful 
men,  he  had  placed  it  in  this  conspicuous  position.  She  bent 
forward  and  looked  at  it,  then  came  back  to  him. 

"Are  you  going  to  the  Crown-brilliants  to-night,  Bruce  ?  " 

"No,  he  replied.     "I  am  tired  of  the  Crown-brilliant^ 


48  MY  LA1H    PRIM. 

W 

They  always  have  twice  as  maixy  as  the  rooms  will  holfl;  last 
time  I  was  nearly  suffocated." 

"  Come  and  dine  and  speikd  the  evening  with  us,  then/' 
she  said. 

"I  can't,  Blanche,  to-night;  I  have  an  engagement.^ 

"  I  am  sorry/'  she  said,  sweetly. 

"  The  horse,  my  lady/'  announced  the  servant. 

Lord  Norman  went  for  his  hat;  but  Lady  Blanche  begged 
ihim  to  wait  for  a  moment. 

"  I  have  forgotten  a  note  I  want  to  write/'  she  said,  and  in 
her  slow,  graceful  manner  she  sat  down  and  wrote  a  line  or 
two,  declining  the  Crown-brilliants,  and  on  half  a  sheet  of 
paper  scribbled,  "  Get  a  box  at  the  opera  for  to-night. * 

"  I  am  quite  ready  now/'  she  said,  and  as  they  passed  out 
she  handed  the  note  and  the  paper  to  the  footman. 

The  park  was  full  as  they  entered  the  ring,  and  hats  flew 
off  the  men  lounging  over  the  rails  as  the  two  passed. 

They  walked  and  cantered  round  the  ring  of  tan  for  an 
hour,  she  bowing  to  the  endless  string  of  friends  and  acquain- 
tances, he  noticing  no  one ;  th?n,  with  a  sigh,  she  said : 

"  You  must  not  stay  any  longer,'  Bruce !  You  want  to  go 
to  your  club  for  lunch !  It  is  very  good  of  you  to  have  come 
with  me ;  I  know  how  you  hate  this  kind  of  thing !  " 

He  started  slightly. 

"  Nonsense !  "  he  said ;  but  all  the  same  he  turned  his  horse 
at  once. 

As  they  rode  down  Eton  Place,  a  man  who  had  been 
lounging  at  the  corner  smoking  a  cigar,  looked  up  and  stared 
at  them,  then,  as  they  came  abreast  of  him,  he  put  up  his 
hand  as  if  to  arrange  his  hat  more  comfortably,  and,  in  doing 
so,  completely  hid  his  face. 

1     Neither  of  them  saw  him,  and  if  Lord  Norman  had  done 
so,  he  would  not  have  recognized  Oscar  Eaymond. 

It  was  Floris's  first  experience  of  theatre  going,  and  her 
heart  beat  fast  with  curiosity  and  excitement ;  but  amid  it  all 
she  could  not  help  noticing  the  calm,  masterful  way  with 
which  Lord  Norman  escorted  them  through  the  crowded  en- 
trance in  the  foyer. 

Two  attendants  ushered  them  into  their  box,  the  overture 
was  just  beginning,  and  dazzled  and  excited,  Floris  leaned 
forward  and  gazed  fixedly  at  the  stage.  As  she  did  so,  a  score 
opera  glasses  were  leveled  at  the  box,  and  Lady  Betty 
significantly  at  Lord  Norman. 


MY  LADY   PRIDE.  4$ 

01  i  told  -you  so,"  she  whispered,  leaning  back  to  him.  "  I 
Juiew  she  would  create  a  sensation !  She  is  the  most  beautiful 
girl  here,  Bruce !  " 

He  frowned,  and,  as  if  by  accident,  drew  the  outer  curtain 
so  that  it  screened  Moris.  The  opera  commenced,  and  all 
Florist  eyes  and  soul  were  concentrated  on  the  stage. 

The  sad,  miserable  story  of  human  frailty  and  human  suf- 
fering developed  itself,  and  amid  the  most  intense  silence^ 
Nilsson  sa*ig  her  great  song. 

As  she  had  finished,  a  tremendous  uproar  of  applause  arose, 
and  Floris,  moved  beyond  herself,  raised  her  bouquet  and 
threw  it,  with  a  passionate  gesture,  at  Nilsson's  feet.  It  was 
done  on  the  impulse  of  the  moment;  the  next  she  looked 
round  almost  with  affright,  but  Lord  Norman  bent  over  her 
with  a  smile. 

"  That  was  nicely  done,"  he  said.  "  See !  she  is  smiling  up 
at  you ! " 

Floris  bent  over  the  box  and  met  the  great  prima  donna's 
smile,  and  her  heart  seemed  to  stand  still.  Then  a  huge 
wave  of  remorse  swept  over  her;  she  had  thrown  away  the 
flowers  he  had  given  her. 

Almost  as  if  he  read  the  thought  he  said : 

"  You  could  not  have  applied  them  to  a  better  use,  Miss 
Carlisle.  Besides,  they  were  your  own  to  do  as  you  wish 
with." 

The  curtain  drew  up  on  the  last  act,  and  Floris  was  bend- 
ing forward  to  catch  the  first  notes  of  the  music  when,  sud- 
denly, some  persons  entered  the  box  exactly  opposite  their 
own. 

She  would  not  have  noticed  the  fact,  but  at  the  moment  she 
saw  Lady  Betty  lean  back  and  catch  at  Lord  Norman's 
arm,  and  heard  her  whisper  gently,  in  a  startled  voice : 

"  Bruce !     Look !     There  is  Blanche !  " 

She  would  not  have  noticed  the  fact,  but  at  the  moment  sKe 
box,  and  saw  a  beautiful  face  with  dark-brown,  velvety  eyes 
fixed,  with  almost  fierce,  scornful  scrutiny,  upon  her. 


50  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

BEWITCHED. 

Right  across  the  magnificent  opera  house  the  two  women 
looked  at  each  other. 

The  expression  of  the  fierce  jealousy  which  had  flamed  forth 
from  Lady  Blanche's  eyes  passed  and  vanished  in  a  moment, 
and  nothing  but  a  calm,  indolent,  almost  indifferent  gaze  met 
Floris's  one  of  frank  admiration. 

Lord  Norman  stood  behind  her  chair,  calm,  impassive, 
apparently  deaf  and  blind  to  all  around  him,  with  that  sang« 
froid  which  his  admirers  declared  was  unique  and  inimitable. 
He  had  seen  the  flash  of  jealousy  dart  across  the  threatre,  had 
seen  the  hot  flush  on  Floris's  face,  but  for  any  sign  of  recog- 
nition, he  might  have  been  indeed  blind.  Lady  Pendleton, 
however,  looked  uneasy  at  his  immovability,  and  began  to 
fidget  and  cast  glances  at  the  opposite  box.  Presently  she 
turned  her  head. 

"  Hadn't  you  better  go  across,  Bruce  ?  " 

"  Presently,"  he  answered. 

The  opera  proceeded,  and  presently  the  great  scene  arrived. 
Nilsson  was  in  beautiful  voice  that  night  and  Marguerite's 
sweet,  plaintive,  soul-stirring  death  song  rose  and  filled  the 
house  with  its  wonderful,  pathetic  sweetness. 

Gradually,  Floris's  face  grew  pale,  her  lips  quivered,  the 
tears  gathered  in  her  eyes  and  trickled  slowly,  like  great 
diamonds,  down  her  cheeks. 

Never  had  she  looked  more  lovely,  more  heart-moving ;  and 
as  the  blase  man  of  the  world  watched  her,  he  felt  an  awful 
longing  to  take  her  in  his  arms,  to  bend  and  kiss  the  tears 
from  the  star-like  face ;  as  it  wasj  his  own  face  went  pale  under 
the  spell  she  was,  all  unconsciously,  weaving  round  him,  and 
the  hand  resting  on  the  back  of  the  chair,  touching  her  dress, 
trembled.  He  could  not  resist  the  longing  to  speak  to  her, 
and  bent  over  her,  murmuring: 

"  No,  no !     Do  not !  -  It  is  not  even  worth  that !  " 

Without  moving  her  head,  Floris  turned  her  eyes  toward 
him,  with  a  half  shame-faced  smile,  and  wiped  her  eyes. 

"  I  am  glad,  and  yet  so  sorry — so  sorry  it  is  over !  "  she 
murmured,  as  the  curtain  fell.  "  Who  could  help  crying  ?  " 
And  she  laughed  tremulously. 


MY    LADY    PRIDE.  5i 

"You  see  we  have  all  of  us  seen  it  so  many  times,"  said 
Lord  Norman  in  his  low  voice,  which  seemed  meant  to  reach 
her  ears  alone ;  "  and  we  get  hardened.  But  I  am  glad  you 
are  enjoying  it." 

"  Enjoying  it !  I  have  never  been  so  happy  in  my  life ! ' 
exclaimed  Floris.  A  light  shone?  in  her  eyes  for  a  moment. 

"  You  make  me  very  happy  ,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice. 

Instantly  her  manner  changed,  and  the  old,  proud  loot 
came  into  her  eyes. 

"Are  you  not  going  now  ? "  she  said,  turning  to  Lady 
Pendleton. 

"  Oh,  there's  a  ballet,  isn't  there,  Bruce  ? "  asked  Lady 
Betty.  "  Please  let  us  stay  for  the  ballet.  One  always  goes 
home  so  very  miserable  after  *  Faust '  without  the  ballet." 

"  By  all  means,"  he  said ;  then  he  got  his  opera  hat,  and 
left  the  box  without  a  word;  and  Floris  felt  that  she  had 
wounded  him  by  her  cold  repulse. 

Lady  Pendleton  shrugged  her  shoulders. 

"  At  last !  "  she  exclaimed,  confidentially.  "  I  thought  he 
was  never  going.  I  assure  you,  my  dear,  I  have  been  most 
uncomfortable.  He  ought  to  have  got  up  and  gone  round 
directly  she  came  in." 

"  Lady  Blanche  Seymour,  do  you  mean  ?  "  asked  Floris,  in- 
differently. 

"  Of  course.  How  well  she  is  looking  to-night,"  said  Lady 
Betty,  putting  up  her  opera  glasses.  "  She  has  got  on  one  of 
Worth's  latest.  Certainly  I  will  say  that  Blanche  knows  how 
to  dress.  I  don't  know  anyone  who  wears  diamonds  so  well. 
Did  you  see  her  look  across  at  us  as  she  came  in,  my  dear  ?  " 

:(  Yes,  I  saw  her  look  across — yes." 

Lady  Betty  laughed  with  a  little  malicious  enjoyment. 

"  Blanche  and  I  don't  get  on  very  well  together,  you  know, 

I  fancy  she  thinks  I  take  up  too  much  of  Brace's  time.     Ei- 

diculous,  isn't  it  ?     I  can  not  help  his  being  nice  and  attentive, 

can  I  ?     I  don't  think  she  liked  seeing  him  here  with  me ;  she 

4  considers  that  she  has  the  monopoly  in  poor  Bruce.     Look ! 

There  he  is.     How  handsome  he  is!     Eeally  I  don't  think 

(Ithere  is  another  man  in  the  house  with  such  a  figure  and — • 

and — style,  to  say  nothing  of  his  face." 

Floris  looked  across  and  saw  Lord  Bruce  standing  beside 
Lady  Blanche's  chair.  He  was  talking,  but  not  bending  over 
her  as  he  had  bent  over  Floris;  and  Lady  Blanche  was  speak- 
ing to  him  with  her  face  turned  almost  completely  away.^ 


52  MY  LADY  PRIDE. 

The  orchestra  began  the  overture  to  the  hallet. 

"  I  wonder  whether  he  means  to  remain  there  for  the  rest 
of  the  evening ! "  said  Lady  Betty,  with  the  pettishness  of  a 
spoiled  child.  •"  I  suppose  he  will  deign  to  come  and  see  us 
home?* 

The  curtain  drew  up,  and  Floris  turned  to  the  stage  and 
gazed  at  the  magnificent  scene  spellbound. *  So  enwrapt  was 
she  that  she  did  not  hear  the  box  door  open,  and  it  was  not 
until  she  felt  his  hand  upon  her  chair  that  she  knew  Lord 
Norman  had  returned. 

"  Well  ?  "  he  said,  and  if  he  had  been  offended  he  had  re-, 
gained  his  temper,  "not  so  good  as  '  Faust ?'" 

"No,  but  it  is  very  beautiful!  More  beautiful  than  I 
dreamed  it  could  be !  "  said  Ploris.  "  They  seem  to  float  on 
air ;  how  they  must  enjoy  it !  " 

"  Was  she  very  angry,  Bruce, "  Floris  heard  Lady  Betty 
whisper. 

"  Blanche,  do  you  mean  ?  "  he  asked,  coldly,  as  if  reluctant 
to  answer. 

''  Yes,  of  course.  I  know  she  was  angry,  because  she  smiled 
at  me  so  sweetly  while  you  were  going  round,  and  avoided  us 
so  completely  when  you  got  there." 

"  You  have  wonderful  intuition,  Betty,"  he  said,  calmly, 
and  turned  to  Floris  instantly. 

"Can  you  make  the  story  out  ?  "  he  said.  "  They  are  danc* 
ing  an  opera,  instead  of  singing  it,  you  know." 

"  I  think  I  can,"  said  Floris,  "  but  I  am  not  sure." 

He  drew  a  chair  near  to  her,  and  leaning  forward,  explained 
the  action  of  the  ballet  with  a  patience  and  earnestness  which 
would  have  astonished  many  who  knew  him,  his  eyes  fixed  on 
her  face  with  grave  intentness  the  while.  As  he  was  speaking, 
there  came  a  knock  at  the  door,  and  a  voice  said : 

"  May  I  come  in,  Lady  Pendleton  ?  " 

Lady  Betty  startled  and  uttered  a  bird-like  cry  of  delight; 
and  surprise. 

"Why  it  is  Bertie!     Is  it  you,  Bertie?" 

"  Guilty,  my  lady ! "  answered  the  voice,  so  pleasant  and) 
merry  a  one  that  Floris  turned  her  head. 

"  Bruce,  open  the  door !  "  exclaimed  Lady  Betty.  "  It  is 
Bertie  Clifforde." 

Lord  Norman  got  up  and  opened  the  door,  an3  a  young 
man,  a  very  young  man,  entered.  He  was  tall  and  graceful, 
with  fair  hair  that  clustered  in  curls  on  his  brow;  a  soft  fringe 


%tt  1ADY  PRIDE.  83 

of  gold  above  his  upper  lip  promised  a  mustache;  his  eyes 
were  blue,  and  full  of  life  and  joyousness;  and  his  lips  were 
curved  in  a  smile  which  almost  made  Floris  smile  to  look  at 
them. 

"  Why,  Bertie,  where  have  you  sprung  from?  "  demanded 
[Lady  Betty,  laughingly 

"  From  Canada/'  he  replied.  "  Been  out  there  for  the  big 
game,  you  know.  How  well  you  are  looking!  I  am  so  glad 
to  see  .you !  How  lucky  I  dropped  in  to-night !  And  Bruce> 
too !  "  and  he  released  Lady  Pendleton's  hand  at  last  and  took 
Lord  Norman's.  "  So  awfully  glad  to  see  you,  Bruce !  It 
seems  ages  since  we  met !  And  how  well  you  are  looking !  1 
am  awfully  lucky !  Do  you  know  I  hesitated  outside  for  a 
moment  before  I  came  in!  Never  expected  to  see  you,  you 
may  be  sure,  or  I  should  not  have  paused  a  morneixt !  "  and  lie 
wrung  Lord  Norman's  hand  again. 

Then  his  joyous  blue  eyes  turned  to  Floris,  Maestioningly. 
She  had  her  face  toward  the  stage,  and  Lord  Norman  made 
no  offer  of  introduction,  but  Lady  Betty  leaned  forward  and 
tapped  Floris  on  the  arm. 

"  My  dear,  let  me  make  you  acquainted  with  an  old  friend 
— I  beg  your  pordan,  Bertie!     A  young  friend— 

"  Now,  Lady  Pendleton !  "  murmured  Lord  Olifforde,  with 
meek  reproach. 

"  Lord  Clifforde,  Miss  Carlisle." 

Floris  turned  her  head  and  bowed,  and  Bertio,  as  Viscounl 
Clifforde  was  usually  called,  started  slightly,  flushed,  and 
then  bowed.  Lady  Betty  laughed  with  pleasant  malicious- 
ness. She  saw  the  effect  Floris's  beauty  had  made  upon  the 
boy. 

"And  so  you  have  just  come  from  Canada,  Bertie  ?  "  said 
Lord  Norman. 

j  Bertie  responded  with  a  smile  and  a  laugh,  and  began  to  tell 
them  some  of  his  adventures.  Floris  scarcely  listened,  but  the 
clear,  fresh  voice  reached  her  ears  and  chimed  in  not  inhar- 
moniously  with  the  music.  All  the  while  he  was  talking,  the 
young  viscount's  eyes  were  wandering  toward  her,  and  in  a 
pause  of  the  conversation  he  drew  near  Lady  Betty  and  leaned 
down  to  whisper :  4& 

"  Who  is  she,  Lady  Pendleton?  " 

"  My  companion,  Bertie.     Isn't  she  beautiful  ?  " 

"  Hush ! "  he  whispered,  with  a  bright  blush  that  many  a 


54  MY  LADY  PRIDE. 

woman  in  the  theatre  would  have  given  her  suite  of  diamonds 
to  possess,     "  Hush,  she  will  hear  you !     She  is  lovely !  " 

He  drew  nearer  to  Floris,  and  seeing  her  opera  cloak  had 
slipped  to  the  floor  of  the  box,  stooped  and,  picking  it  up,  put 
it  on  the  back  of  her  chair. 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Floris,  looking  round  at  him,  and  read* 
ing  in  his  eyes  the  direct,  obvious  desire  to  speak  to  her,  she 
slowly  moved  her  chair  so  that  he  might  draw  his  near. 

But  when  he  had  seated  himself  close  to  her,  he  did  not 
seem  to  know  what  to  say. 

"  Have  you  been  long  in  London  ?  "  he  asked,  almost  timid- 
ly, but  his  eyes  showed  the  interest  he  took  in  her. 

"  Only  a  day  or  two/'  said  Floris.  "  This  is  the  first  opera 
I  have  ever  seen." 

"  Eeally !  "  his  blue  eyes  expanding.  "  How  jolly !  I  wish 
I  had  come  earlier !  "  then  he  blushed.  "  Has  Bruce — Lord 
Norman — been  here  all  the  time  ?  " 

"Yes/'  said  Floris. 

"  Dear  old  Bruce !  "  he  said,  glancing  slightly  to  the  back  of 
the  box  where  Lord  Norman  leaned,  looking  at  the  door,  "  I 
am  so  glad  to  see  him  again/' 

"  You  are  old  friends  ?  "  said  Floris,  very  quietly. 

"  Oh,  yes ;  we  were  at  Eton  together ;  that  is,  I  was  there  a 
couple  of  terms  before  he  left,  and  we  have  seen  a  great  deal 
of  each  other  since.  He  has  been  awfully  kind  to  me,  taken 
me  about,  and^put  me  up  at  his  clubs.  I  am  very  proud  of 
being  his  friend ;  there  are  so  few  fellows  he  is  really  intimate 
with.  It  is  just  good  luck  my  meeting  him  here  to-night.  I 
heard  at  the  club  that  he  had  sailed  in  his  yacht." 

"  Lord  Norman  is  staying  in  London  to  help  Lady  Pendle- 
ton  at  a  fancy  fair,"  said  Floris. 

"  Eeally !  A  fancy  fair !  How  jolly !  I  wonder  whether 
Bhe  would  let  me  help.  Fll  ask  her !  "  he  said,  resolutely,  and 
he  got  up  and  went  to  Lady  Betty. 

Lord  Norman  came  forward,  as  if  he  had  been  waiting. 

"  How  do  you  like  my  friend  Bertie,  Miss  Carlisle  ?  "  he 
asked. 

"  Very  much,"  replied  Floris.  "  He  has  gone  to  ask  Lady 
Betty  te  allow  him  to  help  her  at  the  fancy  fair." 

"  She  will  be  delighted.  Bertie  is  what  is  called  in  theatri- 
cal circles,  '  a  safe  draw/  He  is  the  pet  of  society ;  it  is  a 
Wonder  he  is  not  spoiled." 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  55 

"5?  don't  think  I  should  say  that  he  is  not  spoiled,"  said 
Floris,  with  a  smile. 

Bertie  came  back  to  her  chair,  as  she  spoke,  flushed  and 
radiant. 

"  I  am  accepted,  miss —  "  he  stopped. 

"  Carlisle,"  put  in  Lord  Norman. 

"Miss  Carlisle!  I  shall  work  awfully  hard!  There  ar^( 
lots  of  things  I  can  do.  You  will  see !  We'll  make  a  bi£ 
success  of  it." 

The  curtain  fell  amid  a  thunder  of  applause,  and  Lady 
Betty,  with  a  little  yawn,  shut  up  her  fan  and  looked 
around. 

ft  Don't  you  wait,  Bruce,"  she  said,  with  a  significant 
glance  at  the  opposite  box.  "  Bertie  will  take  charge  of 
us." 

A  frown  gathered  for  a  moment  on  Lord  Norman's  brow. 

'-  What  have  I  done  to  be  summarily  dismissed  ?  "  he  said. 

"  I  was  thinking  for  your  own  good,  Bruce,"  she  whis- 
pered. 

"P*ay  let  me  think  for  myself,"  he  said. 

Theii  he  went  to  put  on  Floris's  cloak,  but  Bertie,  with 
hands  that  almost  trembled  in  his  eagerness  and  delight,  had 
got  the  efoak  in  his  hand,  and  was  reverently  arranging  it  on 
her  shoulders;  then  he  offered  her  his  arm,  and  Lord  Bruce 
was  left  to  escort  Lady  Betty.  The  two  men  conducted  the 
ladies  from  the  box  into  the  crowded  foyer,  and  Bertie 
dashed  off  tt>  find  the  carriage,  which  he  managed,  by  dint  of 
hard  work  and  the  bribe  of  a  sovereign,  to  bring  to  the  door 
just  five  minutes  before  its  time.  Then  he  went  back  to  the 
saloon,  looking  superbly  handsome,  with  his  fair  face  flushed 
with  his  exertions.  As  he  entered  he  saw  Lord  Norman,  as 
he  thought,  standing  by  the  door. 

"  Why !     Where  are  the  ladies,  Bruce  ?  "  he  exclaimed. 

The  man  addressed  looked  at  him  for  a  moment,  then 
turned,  and  was  instantly  swallowed  up  in  the  brilliant  crowd 
thronging  the  corridor.  Bertie  looked  after  him  with  aston- 
ishment, then  mechanically  made  his  way  to  where,  he  had 
left  the  three,  and  found  them  standing  in  the  same  spot, 
waiting  for  him.  He  stared  at  Bruce  with  amazement,  and 
in  silence,  for  a  moment. 

"What's  the  matter,  Bertie?  Has  the  carnage  flawn 
away?" 


56  MY   LADY   PRIDE, 

"  Why !  how  did  yon  get  here  again  so  soon,  and  with- 
out your  overcoat?  "  asked  Bertie,  open-eyed. 

"  I  have  not  left  the  saloon  since  you  went,,  of  course/'  re- 
turned Lord  Norman. 

"  But  I  saw  you  outside  here  a  minute — a  second — ago !  " 
retorted  Bertie. 

Lady  Betty  laughed. 

"  What  nonsense  you  talk,  Bertie !  "  she  exclaimed.  t(  Bruce 
lias  not  left  us ;  how  could  he  ?  " 

Bertie  colored. 

"  I  have  made  a  stupid  mistake/'  he  said,  penitently.  "  I 
have  got  the  carriage/' 

They  went  down  without  another  word,  but  as  they  de- 
scended the  stairs  he  looked  from  left  to  right  searchingly. 

Lord  Norman  and  he  put  them  into  the  carriage,  and  Lord 
Norman  stood  by  the  window  a  moment  after  he  had  shut 
the  door. 

"  Good-night,"  he  said  in  his  low,  musical  voice,  and 
speaking  to  Floris.  "  I  hope  you  will  not  be  tired  in  the 
morning." 

:(  Thanks,"  she  said,  calmly. 

The  carriage  moved  on  very  slowly^  and  Berti<a  seized  the 
opportunity  to  press  forward. 

"  I  may  come  and  talk  about  tlie  fair,  to-morrow  ?  "  he  said, 
eagerly. 

"Yes,  yes;  do,"  said  Lady  Betty,  putting  out  her  hand. 
"And  make  haste  back !  You  have  no  hat  on,  and  will  catch 
cold ! " 

He  laughed  his  frank,  boyish  laugh,  and,  as  if  in  echo, 
Floris  laughed,  too/  and  held  out  her  hand. 

He  flushed  with  grateful  pleasure  and  seized  it,  getting 
nearly  run  over  for  his  pains,  and  stood  looking  after  the 
carriage  until  it  was  lost  to  sight. 

Lord  Norman  watched  him  with  a  smile  on  his  face. 

"  Don't  they  wear  hats  in  Canada,  Bertie  ?  "  he  said. 

The  young  viscount  started,  and  laughed  apologetically*, 
then  sent  a  man  to  the  saloon  for  his  hat. 

"  Oh,  Bruce,  what  a  lovely  creature !  "  he  exclaimed,  in  a 
low  voice,  as  he  locked  his  arm  in  Lord  Norman's  Lady 
Betty's  companion!  Do  you  know  her  well,  Bruce?  How 
glad  I  am  that  I  came  back,  and  that  I  dropped  in  to-night !  " 

Lord  Norman  stopped  again  and  looked  at  him,  with  some- 
thing like  a  frown  and  a  smile  commingled. 


MY   LADY    PRIDE.  57 

"  Now.>  Bertie,,  don't  play  the  fool.  I  know  what  this 
rhapsody  means.  You  are  in  love  for  the  five  hundred  and 
ninty-ninth  time !  " 

The  young  viscount  raised  his  head  and  looked  at  him. 
His  face  went  pale,  and  his  bine  eyes  were  almost  solemn  in 
their  earnestness. 

"  No, ;  for  the  first  time,  Bruce.  Don't  chaff  me.  I — I 
don't  think  I  should  like  it.  Yes,  I  am  in  love,"  he  went  on, 
almost  defiantly ;  "  and  I  am  not  ashamed  to  own  it.  I  feel 
js  if  I  had  been  bewitched." 

He  put  his  hand  to  his  brow  again,  and  his  face  went  pale. 

"  Don't  chaff  me.     I'm  serious  this  time,  Bruce." 

i;  So  you  have  assured  me  quite  a  dozen  times  before,"  re- 
fctvd  Lord  Norman. 

"  Vkit  I  have  never  felt  like  this.  There,  don't  let  us  talk 
*f  it,  Bfuce." 

"  But  we  will,  said  Lord  Norman,  almost  sternly.  "  Lis- 
ten to  me,  Bertie;  I  know  about  as  much  of  you  as  you  do 
yourself.  Yui*  are  "Viscount  Clifforde,  with  an  old  title  and 
fin  empty  pi^rse.  You  are  good-looking,  confound  you,  as  a 
picture,  and  you  have  got  to  take  your  good  looks  into  the 
open  market,  and  do  your  duty  in  that  state  of  life,  etc.  And 
that  duty  is,  to  ir^ai-ry  an  heiress  as  soon  as  you  conveniently 
can." 

The  boy  blushed,  famed  pale  and, then  sighed. 

"  Now,  Miss  Carlisle  is  not  an  heiress ;  she  is  penniless,  or 
next  door  to  it,  and  Lady  Betty's  companion ;  and  the  sooner 
you  get  over  your  infatuation  the  better !  " 

Bertie  stood  silent  for  a  Moment — they  had  reached  the 
door  of  Lord  Norman's  chambers — then  he  looked  up. 

"  It  is  all  very  well  for  you  to  talk  like  this,  Bruce.  You  do 
not  know  what  I  feel.  I  don't  think  you  were  ever  downright 
in  love." 

"  No  ?  "  said  Lord  Norman,  with  A  Grange  smile. 

"But  you  'mean  well/  as  they  say,  ai^d  perhaps  you  are 
right.  I'll  call  on  Lady  Betty  to-morrow,  w3jd  start  off  for— »i 
oh,  anywhere !  " 

"  Do,"  said  Lord  Norman. 


"  Lord  Clifforde !  "  said  Lady  Betty,  as  Josine  opened  tKe 
door  of  the  boudoir  and  made  the  announcement. 


58  MY    LADY    PRIDE. 

The  room  was  in  the  wildest  confusion,  littered  with  the 
contents  of  a  huge  box,  which  had  just  arrived  from  Paris, 
containing  a  selection  of  Swiss  costumes,  slightly  altered  and 
beautified  by  a  great  master.  Floris  was  kneeling  before  the 
glass  trying  on  wihte  linen  caps  and  kerchiefs. 

"Bertie,  my  dear!  How  attentive  of  him!  Show  Lord 
Clifforde  up,"  she  said,  and  presently  they  heard  him  corning 
up  two  stairs  at  a  time. 

Pie  stopped  at  the  door,  aghast  and  blushing  at  the  sight  of 
the  finery  and  the  occupation  of  the  two  ladies. 

"  Oh,  I  beg  pardon !     I  thought  the  girl  said  'upstairs.'  '- 

"  Oh,  it  is  all  right !  Come  in,  Bertie.  You  are  the  very 
man  we  want,"  said  Lady  Betty,  holding  out  her  little  paw. 
"  We  are  too  busy  to  receive  visits  of  ceremony  this  morning, 
but  if  you  like  to  take  us  as  we  are  you  are  quite  welcome." 

"What  an  awful  litter!     How  do  you  do^  Miss  Carlisle?" 

Floris  held  out  her  hand,  without  getting  up  from  her 
knees,  and  he  bent  over  it. 

"  What  a  fine  lot  of  dresses !  Bather  gorgeous,  aren't  they  ?  " 

"  Color  is  everything  at  a  fancy  fair,"  said  Lady  Betty, 
with  an  air  of  conviction. 

"  Color  and  cheek !  "  said  Bertie. 

"  Sir !  "  exclaim'ed  Lady  Betty,  with  mock  severity.  "  We 
did  not  admit  you  into  our  boudoir  to  receive  your  imper- 
tinence." 

"  Beg  pardon,  Lady  Betty !  "  he  retorted.  "  I  meant  color 
and — confidence." 

"  Then  we  had  better  give  you  a  stall  all  to  yourself,  Ber- 
tie," said  Lady  Betty.  "  Now  tell  me  how  I  look.  Isn't  this 
quite  a  Swiss  girl's  get-up  ?  " 

They  tried  on  several  other  caps  and  kerchiefs^  and  Ber- 
tie was  asked  his  opinion  on  each  and  all,  till  he  must  have 
become  rather  confused;  then  he  said  suddenly,  as  if  he  had 
been  bracing  himself  up  for  the  announcement : 

"  It  is  very  kind  of  you  to  show  me  these  things,  Lady 
Pendleton,  because — because,  you  see,  I  sha'n't  be  able  to  see 
them  at  the  fair." 

"Why  not?"  demanded  Lady  Betty. 

He  glanced  at  Floris  as  she  knelt  at  the  box  replacing  the 
costumes. 

"I — I  find  I  have  to  go  down  to  my  uncle's  place;  I'm 
overdue  there  now,  and  he  g^ts  rather  rough  if  I  don't  show 
up  pretty  of  tea." 


MY   LADY    PRIDE.  59 

"  Oh,  nonsense ! }9  said  Lady  Betty.  "  Fm  sure  he  won't 
mind  waiting  a  week  or  two  longer  for  you;  I  shouldn't  if  I 
were  your  uncle.  You  must  help  us  with  the  fair,  Bertie! 
You  will  be  of  no  end  of  use ;  won't  he,  Floris  ?  " 

Floris  didn't  answer,  but  she  smiled  assentingly. 

"  There !     You  hear  what-  Miss  Carlisle  says." 

"  I  didn't  hear  Miss  Carlisle  speak,"  says  poor  Bertie,  all 
(  his  heroic  resolutions  of  flying  from  temptation  slipping  away 
from  him." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon !  "  said  Floris.  "  I  am  sure  you  would 
be  of  great  use,  Lord  Clifforde,  and  I  hope  you  will  be  able 
to  stay." 

"  If  you  say  so,"  he  said,  "  of  course  I  will  stay.  My  uncle 
must  wait.  Let  me  see.,  what  can  I  do?" 

Then  he  sat  down  again,  and  eagerly  plunged  into  the 
subject. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I  can  do,"  he  said.  "  I'll  be  a  fortune- 
teller, or  something  of  that  sort,  in  a  cave;  or  have  a  show, 
and  stand  outside  with  a  big  drum.  '  Walk  up !  Walk  up, 
ladies  and  gentlemen !  Just  going  to  begin ! '  That  sort  of 
thing,  you  know,  eh,  Miss  Carlisle  ?  "  and  he  turned  his  hand- 
some face  to  hers,  with  a  radiant  smile  in  his  blue  eyes  that 
made  Floris  smile  in  return. 

"  Look  here !  I'll  go  and  get  some  properties,  dresses,  and 
all  that,  and  arrange  something.  Good-bye.  You  leave  the 
show  business  to  me !  "  and  shaking  hands,  he  took  his  de- 
parture, "  all  in  a  glow  with  love,"  as  Moore  says. 

In  the  afternoon  Lord  Clifforde  came  again,  making  pro- 
fuse apologies  for  the  intrusion.  But  he  wanted  to  consult 
them  about  the  "  show." 

"  I  think  I'll  give  a  kind  of  entertainment — recitals  and 
songs.  We  can  rig  up  a  tent  or 'something  of  the  kind  and 
charge  five  shillings  for  admittance." 

"A  guinea!  Nothing  will  be  less  than  a  guinea!"  said 
Lady  Betty,  decisively. 

Bertie  looked  rather  glum. 

«  "  Rather  a  dear  entertainment !  "  he  said.  "  Never  mind ! 
You'll  take  the  responsibility  of  the  charge  for  admission  and 
how  about  the  songs?  I've  bought  one  or  two.  I  thought 
that  perhaps  "—he  hesitated  and  glanced  at  Floris,  who  was 
seated  at  the  window  with  a  book —  "  I  thought  that  perhaps 
you — or  Miss  Carlisle — would  try  them  over  for  me." 


60  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

"Oh,  I  never  could  play  an  accompaniment/  said  Laiy 
Betty.  "  Moris,  my  dear,  will  you  try  them  over  for  him/' 

Floris  rose  at  once  and  went  to  the  piano,  and,  with  a 
suppressed  delight,  Bertie  unrolled  his  songs. 

"  Fm  afraid  they  are  rather  foolish,"  he  said ;  "  but  the 
young  lady  at  the  music  shop  assured  me  that  they  were  all 
the  rage  just  now." 

He  stuck  one  up  on  the  stand,  from  which  it  fell  off,  as 
usual,  and  in  his  scramble  to  recover  it,  his  hands  clasped! 
Floris's. 

All  innocent  and  unsuspecting  she  laughed,  and  put  the 
music  in  its  place,  but  a  red  flush  flew  to  Bertie's  face  for  a 
moment,  leaving  it  pale  and  agitated,  as  he  stood  beside  her 
looking  down  at  the  music. 

"  There !  "  she  said,  playing  the  prelude.  "  I  think  it  is 
rather  pretty.  Will  you  try  it  ?  " 

He  started,  and  tried  to  smile  carelessly,  then  began.  The 
emotion  that  had  taken  possession  of  him  gave  a  thrill  to  his 
really  beautiful  voice,  and  the  lines  rang  out  with  exquisite 
feeling  and  harmony.  "  My  sweet  girl  love,  with  frank,  gray 
eyes ! "  He  looked  at  her.  Was  it  possible  that  she  should 
not  guess  he  was  thinking  of,  singing  to,  her ! 

Suddenly,  while  he  was  still  singing,  the  door  opened  and, 
unseen  by  either  of  them,  Lord  Norman  entered.  He  stood 
looking  at  them — at  the  lovely  face  of  the  girl,  at  the  hand- 
some, enraptured  one  of  the  young  viscount — in  silence  and 
motionless;  and  as  he  looked  a  strange  pain  gnawed  at  his 
heart,  a  pain  which  stung  and  hurt  him  terribly,  though  he 
tried  to  crush  it  down. 

With  a  soft,  lingering  tenderness,  Bertie  dwelt  on  the  last 
note  until  it  died  away  sadly,  then  he  looked  down  at  her — 
indeed  he  had  kept  his  eyes  rivited  on  her  most  of  the  time. 

"  Will  that  do?  »  lie  asked,  humbly. 

"You  sing  it  beautifully,"  she  answered,  frankly.  "I 
think  Lady  Betty  is  right,  a  guinea  will  not  be  too  much  to 
charge  for  admittance  to  your  entertainment." 

"  How  good  you  are  to  me ! "  he  said,  in  a  low,  tremulous 
voice. 

Floris  started  at  the  tone  rather  than  the  words,  and  looked 
around.  As  she  did  so  she  saw  the  tall,  stalwart  figure  of 
Lord  Norman  standing  regarding  them,  and  with  a  flood  of 
crimson  suffusing  her  face,  she  rose. 

"Please  do  not  get  up,"  he  said,  and  Ms  voice  souaded 


MY  LADY  PRIDE.  61 

Vfcry  grave  and  almost  grim.  "  I  will  go  at  once  if  you  allow 
me  to  disturb  you.  Please  sit  down  and  play  again.  Bertie, 
I  should  like  to  hear  you  sing  that  again/' 

But  Floris,  pale  and  proudly  cold,  said: 

"  I  will  tell  her  ladyship  that  you  are  here,  my  lord/'  and 
with  a  bow  glided  from  the  room. 

Bertie  stood  looking  after  her,  aghast  for  a  moment,  then 
he  turned  to  Lord  Norman. 

"What's  the  matter,  Bruce?  Why  did  she  go  like  that? 
Have  I  offended  her,  do  you  think?"  and  the  color  actually 
deserted  his  handsome  face. 

"  You !  "  said  Lord  Norman.  "  No,  my  dear  Bertie.  It  is 
nothing,  not  much  at  least.  Miss  Carlisle  happens  to  dislike 
me — not  without  cause — and  flies  from  my  presence.  That 
is  all/3  and  he  laughed,  but  there  was  a  strange  bitterness  in 
the  laugh,  and  he  turned  his  face  away  from  Bertie's  gaze  oi 
surprise. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A    ROSE     BEYOND    PRICE. 

THE  great  day  had  arrived,  and  Lady  Pendleton  and  aboul 
a  score  more  of  fashionable  ladies  were  in  the  seventh  heaven 
of  delight. 

For  months  little  else  had  been  talked  of  "  in  society  "  but 
the  fancy  fair  in  aid  of  the  funds  of  the  Society  for  Improving 
the  Condition  of  the  South  Sea  Islanders. 

The  thing  had  been  got  up  on  a  most  magnificent  scale, 
utterly  regardless  of  expense,  and  the  great  hall  adjoining  the 
(Botanical  Gardens  had  been  transmogrified  into  a  very  fair 
I  representation  of  a  Swiss  village.  It  was  a  pretty,  beautiful 
<  sight,  which  if  it  could  have  been  transferred  bodily  to  the 
boards  of  a  theater,  would  have  made  the  fortune  of  a  mana- 
ger; and  at -the  opening  ceremony  "society"  thronged  in 
and  filled  the  place  almost  to  suffocation. 

Near  the  center  of  the  hall  stood  Lady  Betty's  chalet,  and 
in  front  of  the  open  window,  with  its  assortment  of  dolls, 
antimacassars,  smoking-caps,  babies'  clothing,  indifferent  oil 
pictures,  and  bead  slippers,  stood  Lady  Betty,  supremely 
happy  in  Monsieur  Worth's  idea  of  a  Swiss  costume.  Never 
had  Lady  Betty  been  so  happy;  there  was  only  one  thing  that 


62  MY   LADY  PRIDE. 

prevented  her  being  perfectly  so,  and  that  was  Floris's  respect- 
ful but  firm  refusal  to  stand  outside  the  stall  with  her. 

If  she  could  have  done  so  without  offending  Lady  Pendle- 
ton,  Floris  would  have  declined  to  take  any  part  in  the  affair 
at  all,  but  as  Lady  Betty  had  made  a  point  of  it,  she  had  re- 
luctantly consented,  stipulating,  however,  that  she  should  be 
permitted  to  keep  in  the  background.  As  the  only  "back- 
ground "  possible  was  the  inside  of  the  gimcrack  chalet,  she 
had  taken  refuge  in  it,  and  stood  well  in  the  shadow  looking 
on  at  the  strange  scene. 

Exactly  opposite  her  was  the  chalet  kept  by  Lady  Glen- 
loona,  with  Mr.  Parks,  the  famous  gossip,  close  at  her  elbow. 
A  little  lower  down  she  saw  the  stately  figure  of  the  Duchess 
of  Clief eden  standing  in  front  of  her  stall,  and  next  her,  in 
charge  of  a  shop  that  seemed  running  over  with  flowers  and 
fruits,  stood  the  tall,  graceful  figure  of  Lady  Blanche. 

Ivory  white,  as  usual,  calm  and  impassive  as  an  iceberg, 
but  extremely  beautiful  in  her  gray  dress  and  white  cap,  Lady 
Blanche  surveyed  the  scene  as  if  it  had  been  got  up  expressly 
for  her  behoof  and  amusement. 

All  the  rest  of  the  crowd  in  the  pageant  faded  from  Floris's 
sight,  and  she  seemed  to  see  only  that  lovely  white  face,  with 
the  dreamy,  velvet  eyes.  She  was  so  absorbed- in  contemplat- 
ing her  that  she  almost  started  when  Lady  Betty  thrust  her 
head  inside  the  chalet,  nearly  knocking  off  the  monstrous  cap, 
and  exclaimed  in  half -irritable,  half -excited  tones: 

"  Provoking,  isn't  it?  It  is  just  like  Bruce!  One  of  the 
patrons,  too !  "  He  ought  to  have  been  here  at  the  opening/' 

Then  Bertie  Clifforde's  pleasant  voice  was  heard  outside. 

"  Here  we  are,  Lady  Betty,  as  the  clown  says !  Splendid 
house,  isn't  it?  How  are  you  getting  on?"  As  he  spoke  he 
looked  about  the  chalet  eagerly.  "  Where  is  Miss  Carlisle  ?" 

"Oh,  inside  there,"  said "  Lady  Betty,  radiant  again. 
"  What  a  tremendous  success,  isn't  it,  Bertie  ?" 

"  Splendid !"  he  assented,  his  blue  eyes  peering  into  the 
dusty  interior  of  the  stall  anxiously.  "Splendid!  All  the 
world  and  his  family  here !  May  I  come  in,  Miss  Carlisle  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think  there  is  room  for  two,"  said  Floris,  with  a 
smile,  as  he  stood  at  the  low  door  with  bent  head.  "  How  is 
your  show  getting  on?" 

"  Oh,  all  right,"  he  replied.  "  I've  got  a  big  chalet,  and 
they  have  made  a  platform  up,  and  presently  I'm  going  to  get 
*em  in  at  a  guinea  a  head/' 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  63 

The  crowd  thickened.  Lady  Betty  was  driving  a  fine  trade 
in  bead  slippers  and  antimacassars,  and  Floris  and  Bertie  be- 
tween them  were  fully  occupied  in  taking  money  and  giving 
change.  The  music,  performed  by  the  Coldstream  band  at 
the  end  of  the  hall,  was  deafening,  the  heat  stifling,  and  Floris 
was  wondering  whether  the  South  Sea  Islanders  would  fully 
appreciate  the  efforts  on  their  behalf,  when  a  tall,  stalwart 
figure,  which  she  would  have  known  amid  a  thousand,  saun- 
tered toward  the  stall. 

"  Bruce !  "  almost  shrieked  Lady  Betty.  "At  last !  Now, 
M really,  you  ought  to  have  been  here  an  hour  ago!" 

"A  thousand  pardons !"  he  said,  in  his  quiet  way.  "  I  have 
been  detained  by  a  meeting  of  the  committee  of  the  Jockey 
Club. .  Sold  all  your  rubbish — I  beg  pardon — useful  arti- 
cles? Where  is  Miss  Carlisle?"  and  his  dark  eyes  roved 
around  the  stall. 

"Inside,"  said  Lady  Betty.  "Now,  Bruce,  what  are  you 
going  to  buy?" 

He  scarcely  seemed  to  hear  her. 

"Anything.  An  antimacassar,  pair  of  slippers — ah,  Ber- 
tie !"  with  a  nod.  "  Glad  to  see  you  at  the  good  work  !" 
Then,  as  Bertie  made  room  for  him,  he  bent  his  head  and 
passed  the  narrow  door-way.  "  Good-morning,  Miss  Car- 
lisle," he  said. 

Floris  bowed.  She  was  busy  giving  change  at  the  moment, 
and  did  not  look  up,  so  that  he  did  not  see  the  sudden  flush 
which  swept  over  her  beautiful  face. 

Bertie  fidgeted  and  looked  around. 

"Fll  go  and  see  to  my  show,"  he  said,  and  disappeared. 

"I  hope  you  are  taking  in  a  great  deal  of  money,  Miss 
Carlisle,"  said  Lord  Norman. 

"  Yes,  I  think  we  are,"  answered  Floris,  still  avoiding  his 
gaze. 

"  Floris,"  said  Lady  Betty,  cheerfully,  "  look  him  out  some 
pretty,  useful  things." 

"  Such  as  dolls  and  tea-cosies,  Miss  Carlisle,  please—" 

He  went  inside,  and  Floris  turned  over  the  things,  laughing 
the  while. 

For  all  his  declaration  of  indifference,  he  was  a  long  while 
making  his  selection,  and  his  dark  eyes  were  more  often  fixed 
on  the  lovely  face  beside  him  than  upon  the  fancy  articles. 

"What, will  you  do  with  all  these?"  asked  Floris. 

"Heaven  only  knows!"  he  responded.     "But  I  am  not 


64  MY    LADY  PRIDE. 

cleaned  out  yet.     Is  there  anything  here  that  you  have  worked 
or  made  yourself?" 

"  No/'  said  Floris;  "  Lady  Pendleton  bought  them  all." 

He  glanced  at  a  red  rose  lying  on  the  snow-white  kerchief 
across  her  bosom. 

"  There  is  only  one  thing  I  see  here  that  I  really  care  for/' 
he  said,  thoughtfully. 

"  Is  there  ?  What  is  it  ?"  asked  Floris,  innocently  looking 
over  the  heap.  "  I  thought  I  had  shown  you  everything.  Is 
it  that  writing-case?^ 

"  No,  but  HI  take  that.  No,  it  isn't  that,  Miss  Carlisle; 
will  you  sell  me  the  rose  you  wear?"  he  asked,  respectfully, 
almost  reverentially. 

Floris  crimsoned  for  a  moment,  and  her  eyes  drooped ;  then 
the  cold  hauteur,  which,  alas!  came  so  easily  to  her,  over- 
spread her  beautiful  face. 

"  It  is  not  for  sale,  my  lord." 

"  Forgive  me,"  he  murmured,  penitently.  "  You  are  right. 
It  is  beyond  price — in  my  eyes,  at  least." 

Obeying  a  sudden,  uncontrollable  impulse,  she  snatched  the 
rose  from  her  bosom  and  flung  it  to  the  ground. 

Ho  stooped  and  picked  it  up,  and  held  it  out  to  her,  with  a 
look  on  his  face  that  thrilled  her. 

"  Has  it  become  so  hateful  to  you  because  I  coveted  it  ?"  he 
said,  sadly.  "  Please  put  it  back  to  show  me  that  I  have  not 
sinned  beyond  forgiveness.  I  promise  not  to  offend  again." 

She  fook  the  rose,  hesitated  a  moment,  then,  instead  of  re- 
placing it  in  the  kerchief,  laid  it  down  on  the  table. 

"  Some  one  else  might  covet  it,"  she  said,  simply. 

He  bowed  his  head,  laid  a  small  pile  of  gold  beside  tKe 
flower,  then,  without  a  word,  raised  his  hat  and  went  out. 

Floris  stood  for  a  moment  motionless,  her  color  coming 
and  going,  her  heart  beating  fast  and  furiously,  then  she  took 
HT)  the  rose  and  thrust  it  gently  inside  the  bosom  of  her 
dress. 

Lord  Norman  strode  down  the  avenue  between  the  rows 
of  shops  as  if  he  were  making  for  the  door;  but  as  he  came. 
opposite  the  flower-stall  kept  by  Lady  Blanche,  she  came  out- 
side and  called  him. 

He  stopped  and  went  up  to  her,  his  face  still  dark  and 
gloomy. 

"  What  will  you  have,  sir  ?"  she  asked,  mimicking  the  tone 


MY  LADY  PRIDE.  65 

ol  an  ordinary  shop-woman.  "  Lilies  are  very  fashionable 
just  now." 

"Anything  you  like.     What  foolery  it  is !" 

"  Isn't  it  ?  But  it  does  good,  I  suppose.  Lady  Glenloona 
says  that  we  shall  clear  four  or  five  thousand  pounds.  Shall 
I  make  you  a  bouquet?" 

"  Great  heavens,  no !  What  should  I  do  with  it  ?  Here, 
Blanche,  I'll  give  you  five  pounds  if  you'll  let  me  off  with  a 
single  flower." 

"Very  well/'  she  said;  "but  don't  think  you  are  over- 
liberal,  Bruce.  A  gentleman  just  offered  me  'a  ten-pound 
note  for  the  camellia  in  my  hair.  A  single  flower!  Bruce, 
what  do  you  say  if  I  give  you  my  camellia?"  and  she  looked 
up  at  him  with  infinite  tenderness  in  her  soft,  brown  eyes. 

"  Better  keep  it  for  some  millionaire  who  will  bid  a  thou- 
sand or  two,  Blanche,"  he  replied,  carelessly. 

"  No,"  she  said,  slowly,  "  you  shall  have  it,  Bruce,  and  for 
your  paltry  five  pounds.  There  it  is.  Let  me  fasten  it  in 
your  coat — do  you  know  that  that  makes  it  worth  at  least 
twenty  ?  There,"  and  she  put  it  thorugh  his  button-hole. 

He  laid  a  five-pound  note  on  the  stall. 

"  Bruce  " — very  softly  and  willingly — "  you  must  wear  my 
flower  at  the  ball  here  to-night." 

"  I  don't  know  that  I'm  coming." 

"  That  is  nonsense.  Everybody  is  coming.  You  will  wear 
it,  Bruce?" 

He  nodded. 

"  If  I  come,  Blanche,"  he  said,  and  as  he  strode  on,  Lady 
Blanche  shot  a  glance  of  triumph  toward  Lady  Pendleton's 
chalet. 


CHAPTEE   VIII. 

A    FAVORITE. 

THE  fair  was  over;  the  amateur  shop-women  had  rolled 
home  in  their  carriages,  the  secretary  of  the  Society  for  the 
Improvement  of  the  South  Sea  Islanders  had  collected  the 
money,  some  thousands  all  told — goodness  only  knows,  and 
no  one  very  much  cared,  how  much  of  it  reached  the  South 
Sea  Islanders — and  an  army  of  carpenters  was  at  work  clear- 
ing away  the  chalets  &?  make  room  for  the  ball. 


66  MY   LADY  PRIDE. 

• 

Bertie,  w.vy  tired,  and  rather  hoarse  from  shouting  "  Walk 
up !"  outside  his  show,  and  singing  inside  it,  had  gone  off  to 
his  club  to  dress  and  get  some  dinner,  and  Lady  Pendle- 
ton  was  lying  down,  but  far  too  excited  to  sleep. 

"A  tremendous  success,  my  dear !"  she  said  to  Floris,  who 
was  helping  Josine  to  put  away  the  Swiss  masquerade  dresses. 

"  Enormous !     But  what  fearfully  hard  work  !     I  am  very 
glad  I  don't  keep  a  shop.     I  used  to  think  it  must  be  quite 
pleasant  to  serve  in  one  of  the  large  linen-draper's  places,  ' 
but  I've  changed  my  mind  now.     And  you  must  be  tired,  too. 
I  wish  you'd  go  and  lie  down  for  a  little  while." 

"  I  am  not  tired/'  said  Floris,  "  and  I  would  like  to  stay 
and  help  Josine." 

"  There  is  no  occasion  for  mademoiselle  to  trouble,"  said 
the  girl,  smoothly.  "  Mademoiselle  looks  quite  haggard  with 
weariness  and  ennui,"  glancing  at  Floris's  face,  fresh  as  a 
flower  and  as  little  haggard  as  a  child's. 

"  My  looks  do  me  an  injustice,  Josine,"  Floris  said,  pleas- 
antly ;  she  was  always  pleasant  with  the  girl,  though  she  had 
a  suspicion  that  Josine  disliked  her. 

"  I  think  if  I  had  a  cutlet  and  a  cup  of  chocolate  sent  up  I 
should  like  it  better  than  a  dinner  down-stairs,"  said  Lady 
Pendleton.  "  You  wouldn't  mind  keeping  Sir  Edward's  com- 
pany, would  you,  my  dear  ?" 

"Certainly  not.  Shall  I  tell  them  to  send  you  up  the 
cutlet— " 

"Mademoiselle  need  not  trouble,"  broke  in  Josine,  with 
a  jealous  flash  of  her  eyes.  "  I  will  charge  myself  with  her 
ladyship's  commands." 

"  No,  you  see  to  it,  Floris,  my  dear ;  will  you  ?"  said  Lady 
Betty,  with  a  yawn,  and  Floris  left  the  room. 

Sir  Edward  came  in  for  his  dinner,  looking  worried  and 
preoccupied  as  usual. 

"  Lady  Pendleton  played  out,  I  suppose  ?  "  he  said.  "  Just 
what  I  expected.  I  am  afraid  you  are  tired  out,  too,  Miss 
Carlisle  ?" 

"No,  Sir  Edward,"  said  Floris,  and  he  glanced  at  her 
cheerful  face  with  an  air  almost  of  relief  and  enjoyment. 

"  Everybody  seems  tired  out  nowadays,"  he  said.  "  The 
world  is  going  too  fast.  You  have  had  a  very  great  success,  I 
hear;  I  met  Lord  Clifforde  on  the  steps  of  the  club;  he  says 
y©u  have  netted  a  very  large  amount." 


M1T  IAD*  ffcl&E.  67i 


"  Thanks  in  no  small  measure  to  his  lordship,"  said  Moris, 
quietly.  "  He  has  worked  very  hard  indeed." 

"  Oh,  he  likes  it  !"  said  Sir  Edward.  "  He  was  in  the  best 
of  spirits.  Very  different  to  Lord  Norman,  whom  I  saw  for 
a  moment/* 

"  Yes  ?"  said  Floris,  examining  the  menu  card  with  close 
attention.  >( 

"  Yes  ;  the  thing  seems  to  have  bored  him,  and  put  him! 
out  of  temper.  He  wanted  to  quarrel  with  me  for  letting  my  ' 
wife  and  you  take  any  part  in  it.  As  if  I  could  help  it! 
Bruce  has  all  the  ignorance  of  an  unmarried  man.  By  the 
way,  I  see  they  are  putting  him  in  the  society  papers.  I 
brought  a  Report  home  with  me  —  ah,  here  it  is.  That  is 
the  paragraph.  '  We  understand  that  there  is  a  prospect  of  a 
speedy  alliance  between  the  noble  families  of  S  —  y  —  r  and 
]ST  —  :r  —  n.'  Seymour,  Lady  Blanche,  you  know,  and  Lord 
Bruce.  Was  she  there  to-day  ?  Of  course,  though—" 

"Yes,  Lady  Blanche  was  there,"  said  Floris,  calmly,  as 
she  laid  the  paper  down  beside  her  plate,  and  Sir  Edward 
little  guessed  the  pang  which  his  innocent  communication 
had  caused  her  or  the  shame  with  which  she  battled  against  it. 

"Are  you  going  to  the  ball,  Sir  Edward?"  she  asked. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say  I  shall  not  be  able,"  he  replied,  with- 
out any  great  exhibition  of  sorrow  either  in  his  face  or  in 
his  voice. 

"  Have  got  to  speak  to-night,  and  must  be  in  my  place. 
I  asked  Lord  Clifforde  to  look  after  you." 

Floris  longed  to  ask  if  Lord  Norman  was  going,  but  could 
not  force  herself  to  do  so  ;  but  Sir  Edward's  next  words  made 
the  question  unnecessary. 

"  I  don't  suppose  Bruce  will  go  ;  he  only  grunted  when  Ti 
mentioned  it  to  him.  Do  you  care  about  any  dessert  ?  If  not  A 
and  you  will  excuse  me,  1  will  leave  the  table,"  and  with  a- 
sigh,  the  hard-worked  statesman  trudged  off  to  his  study  to 
think  out  his  speech. 

Floris  went  up  to  her  room,  and  got  out  the  white  dress 
which  she  had  bought  for  state  occasions.  It  was  a  very 
simple  affair  of  cashmere,  almost  devoid  of  trimming,  save 
for  a  line  of  swan's-down  at  the  neck  and  on  the  sleeves,  and 
as  she  looked  at  it,  she  murmured,  with  a  smile: 

"Miss  Carlisle's  costume  will  not  attract  the  attention  of 
the  fashionable  reporter,  at  any  rate,  but  though  it  may  be 
neither  rich  nor  rare,  it  is,  I  think,  suitable  to  her  station." 


i$  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

While  she  was  changing  her  dress,  there  fell  from  it  the 
crumpled  flower  which  she  had  refused  to  sell  to  Lord  Nor- 
inan,  and  as  she  looked  at  it  lying  on  the  floor,  her  face  went 
as  red  as  the  rose  itself. 

How  respectfully,  almost  reverently,  he  had  begged  for  it, 
/and  how  coldly  she  had  denied  him !  Was  it  possible  that  her 
refusal  had  put  him  out  of  temper  ? 

She  laughed  with  self-mockery  at  the  idea. 

"  I  am  growing  foolish,"  'she  thought,  "  and  all  because  the 
Bight  Honorable  Earl  of  Norman  chooses  to  amuse  himself 
with  Lady  Pendleton's  companion!  What  have  I  done,  or 
said,  that  he  should  presume  to  act  as  he  does  ?  I  suppose  he 
thinks  a  servant  a  fair  target  at  which  to  practice  pretty 
speeches,"  and,  with  a  bitter  smile,  she  pushed  the  rose  aside 
with  her  feet. 

But  a  moment  later  she  stooped  and  picked  it  up. 

"  No,  I  will  keep  it  and  wear  it  to  remind  me  of  my  folly/' 
and  she  placed  the  crimson  flower  inside  the  bosom  of  her 
white  dress. 

She  had  scarcely  finished  dressing  when  Josine  knocked  at 
the  door,  and  scarcely  waiting  for  permission  to  enter,  came 
in. 

Her  dark,  beady  eyes  took  in  the  whole  of  Florists  attire  at 
a  glance,  then  sought  the  floor. 

Miladi  would  be  glad  if  you  would  trouble  yourself  to 
come  to  her,  mademoiselle,"  she  said.  "And  miladi  desires 
me  to  assist  mademoiselle  with  her  toilet." 

"  Thanks,  Josine,  but  I  am  dressed,"  said  Floris. 

The  dark  eyes  surveyed  her  coldly. 

"  Pardon !  Mademoiselle's  hair  could  be  arranged  more 
'effectively." 

rl  dare  say,"  said  Floris,  carelessly;  "but  I  won't  trouble 
rou,  Josine.  It  does  not  matter,"  and  she  passed  out  before 
er,  and,  as  usual,  Josine  peered  about  the  room,  and  turned 
over  everything  Floris  had  left  about. 

"  Dressed  already !"  exclaimed  Lady  Pendleton.  "  Oh,  my 
dear,  what  a  lovely  dress !" 

"  Lovely !"  echoed  Floris,  with  a  smile.  "  Oh,  Lady  Pen- 
dleton,  it  is  as  simple  as  it  can  possibly  be!" 

"I  don't  care  whether  it's  simple  or  not — perhaps  that  is  it. 
It's  perfectly  ravishing !  Don't  come  near  me  all  the  evening,, 
mind,  or  you  will  make  me  look  like  a  May-day  sweep !"  and 
she  laughed. 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  69 

Floris  laughed  with  her,  then  suddenly  her  eyes  glistened 
as  she  looked  down  at  the  little  woman. 

"  You  are  very  kind  to  me.  Lady  Pendleton,"  she  said, 
softly. 

Lady  Betty  looked  up  at  the  glass. 

"  I  wish  you  would  do  my  hair  like  Miss  Carlisle' s,"  she 
said  to  her  maid. 

Josine  crimsoned  and  set  her  teeth.  This,  after  she  had  in* 
formed  Floris  that  her  hair  was  capable  of  improvement ! 

"  I  know  not  how,  miladi." 

"  Then — do  you  mind,  my  dear  ? — let  Miss  Carlisle  do  it; 
said  Lady  Betty. 

The  girl  stood  for  a  moment  as  if  transfixed,  then  laid  the 
ivory  brush  on  the  table,  and  stood  with  folded  arms,  while 
Floris,,  willingly  enough,  arranged  Lady  Pendleton's  hair  as 
nearly  like  hor  own  as  possible. 

"  Oh,  thank  you,  my  dear !  There,  Josine,  that  is  how  I 
like  it  done.  I  wish  you'd  learn  to  do  it  like  that.  Kemem- 
ber,  now,  will  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  miladi/'  said  the  girl,  between  her  closed  lips ;  "  I 
will  remember.  Oh,  yes,  miladi. .  I  will  not  forget,"  and  her 
white  teeth  clicked  viciously. 

"  The  carriage,  my  lady,  and  Lord  Clifforde,"  announced 
a  servant  at  the  door. 

Bertie,  dressed  with  the  minutest  care,  and  looking  hand- 
some enough  to  turn  the  head  of  a  Diana,  received  them  in 
the  drawing-room  with  enthusiasm. 

"  I  say !"  he  exclaimed,  under  his  breath,  his  blue  eyes  fixed 
on  Floris. 

"There!  I  told  you  so  P. said  Lady  Betty,  dramatically. 
"  Now,  Bertie,  speak  the  truth,  and  don't  flatter  or  exagger- 
ate. Isn't  that  dress  simply  lovely?" 

Bertie  blushed,  but  Floris  smiled  quite  calmly  and  care- 
lessly. 

"I  don't  know,"  he  said.  "I  only  know  Miss  Carlisle 
looks  like  one  of  Millais's  pictures;  is  it  the  dress?" 

"  Thank  you,  my  lord,"  said  Floris,  laughing  and  courtesy- 
ing. 

He  blushed  again,  opening  his  lips  as  if  about  to  speak, 
then  took  up  his  opera  hat  and  led  them  to  the  carriage,  into 
which  he  put  them  with  extraordinary  carefulness,  as  if  they 
would  fall  to  pieces  if  roughly  handled. 

The  hall  was  crowded  when  they  arrived,  but  though  Ber« 


70  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

tite,  with  a  lady  on  each  arm,  had  to  almost  fight  his  way  in, 
their  appearance  created  what  is  called  in  newspaper  par- 
lance "  a  sensation." 

Never  had  Floris  looked  more  beautiful  than  she  did  to- 
night in  the  simple,  white  dress,  with  its  trimming  of  swan's- 
down;  and  before  they  had  been  in  the  room  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,  Lady  Betty,  much  to  her  delight,  found  herself  sur- 
rounded by  friends  and  acquaintances,  all  of  them  "  dancing 
men,"  who  begged  an  introduction  to  the  proud-looking  girl 
seated  so  calmly  and  quietly  Reside  her. 

"  What  did  1  tell  you,  my  dear  ?  "  she  whispered.  "  You 
1  have  created  quite  a  sensation  !  Is  your  programme  full  ?" 

"  Not  quite,"  said  Floris,  for  she  had  scribbled  some  make- 
believe  names  in  some  of  the  spaces. 

"  Mine  is !"  said  Lady  Betty,  gleefully,  for  the  suitors  for 
Floirs's  hand  could  not  do  less  than  ask  her  chaperone  for  a 
danee. 


CHAPTER  IX 

IN    THE    GLOW    OF    LOVE. 

FLORIS  danced  one  or  two  dances  with  strangers,  then  Ber- 
fie  came  up. 

"  I  didn't  like  to  seem  too  pressing,  Miss  Carlisle,"  he  said, 
his  blue  eyes  fixed  on  her  wistfully,  "but  I  hope  you  have 
saved  me  a  waltz." 

"Would  you  like  to  have  this  one?"  said  Floris. 

His  handsome  face  beamed. 

"Beally?    How  fortunate!"  and  he  put  his  arm  around 

her. 

If  there  was  one  thing  Bertie  did  better  than  another  it  was 

waltzing. 

Dancing  was  with  him,  indeed,  the  poetry  of  motion. 

Floris  and  he  were  nicely  matched  and  made  a  splendid 
picture  of  youth  and  comeliness. 

By  the  time  they  had  taken  a  turn  around  the  room,  Ber- 
tie's, heart  was  beating  fast,  and  the  blood  coursing  through 
the  veins  with  the  ecstatic  delight  of  having  her  in  his  arms. 

The  band  seemed  to  be  a  heavenly  choir;  he  moved  on 
clouds  through  joyous  space;  he  was  half  intoxicated  with 
passionate  love  and  despairful  longing, 


I 


Ml    LADY   PRIDE.  71 

"  Shall  we  go  on  ?  Am  I  tiring  you  ?"  he  asked  presently, 
in  an  almost  tremulous  whisper. 

"  Oh,  don't  stop,  please !"  said  Floris,  all  unconscious  of  the 
storm  within  his  breast,  of  the  mad  longing  that  possessed 
him  to  whisper : 

"  I  love  you !     Floris,  I  love  you !" 

"  Have  I  got  your  step  ?"  he  asked,  for  the  sake  of  saying 
something,  ior  he  knew  that  they  were  moving  in  perfect 
accord,  like  one  person  instead  of  two. 

"  Perfectly,"  she  said.  "  How  can  you  ask  ?  It  is  a  de- 
'.icious  waltz.  One  of  WaldteufePs,  isn't  it?" 

"Yes — I  don't  know,?>  replied  poor  Bertie,  wondering  how^ 
she  could  talk  thus  easily  and  carelessly. 

It  came  to  an  end  at  last,  all  too  soon  for  him,  and  he 
stood,  as  the  music  died  away,  panting  a  little  and  very  pale. 
He  was  thinking  how  he  should  be  able  to  bear  seeing  her 
dancing  with  other  men"*for  the  mst  of  the  evening,  after  the 
few  delicious  moments  that  had  passed.  He  would  go  away, 
go  home  and  shut  himself  up  and  think  of  her. 

Floris's  voice  roused  him  from  his  abstraction. 

"  Will  you  take  me  to  see  those  palms,  Lord  Clifforde  ?"  she 
said.  "  I  have  been  longing  to  stand  underneath  them  all 
day.  How  calm  and  solitary  they  look  out  there  in  the  dim- 
ness !  One  can  almost  fancy  that  they  have  the  scent  of  the 
desert  in  their  leaves  still." 

Bertie  got  her  cloak,  and  they  made  their  way  into  the 
conservatory.  Two  or  three  people  were  standing  about,  but 
Bertie  found  a  seat  in  a  (juiet  nook  underneath  the  palms,  a 
nook  shut  out  from  the  gay  ballroom  beyond,  and  almost  hid- 
den amid  the  huge  fronds  of  a  royal  fern. 

"  This  Is  delicious!"  said  Floris,  leaning  back  and  pulling 
the  leaves  softly  across  her  hand.  "  If  I  were  rich,  I  would 
have  a  very  large  conservatory,  with  nothing  but  palms  and 
ferns  in  it,  with  just  a  trickling  fountain  or  two,  but  no  birds* 
to  disturb  the  solemn  quiet;  and  I  would  not  permit  any  one 
to  speak  above  a  whisper,"  and  she  laughed  softly. 

Bertie  vS^tood  beside  her,  his  blue  eves  resting  on  her  down- 
cast face,  with  a  passionate  lon^in^  aching  in  them. 

"  If  you  were  rich  !  "  lie  said,  scarcely  above  the  whisper  she 
had  almost  commanded.  **  Perhaps  you  will  be  some  day." 

She  si  look  her  head,  smiling, 

"I  don't  know  that  I  care  to.be,"  she  said,  as  if  commun- 
ing with  herself.  "  Rich  people  seem  to  have  a  great  deal  of 


72  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

care  and  trouble,  and  are  no  happier  than  poor  people.     1 
suppose  Sir  Edward  is  very  rich?" 

"Yes,"  said  Bertie.     "Immensely  so!" 

44 A  nd  he  works  as  hard  as  a  city  clerk,  or  harder,,  I  sup- 
pose, and  is  always  tired  and  worried  to  death.  What  a 
puz/le  life  is !"  and  she  sighed.  • 

He  drew  a  little  nearer,  the  quiet  of  the  place.,  her  sweet 
voice  were  driving  him  to  rashness. 

tv  There  is  only  one  thing  worth  having  in  life,"  he  said. 

'*  \Vhat  is  that?  "  she  asked,  looking  up  with  a  smile,  which- 
died  away  as  she  saw  the  paleness  of  his  face  and  the  light  in 
his  eyes. 

"  Can  you  not  guess?  "  he  said  half  fearfully,  and  yet  with 
intense  earnestness.  "  Miss  Carlisle,  I  know  that  you  will 
think  me  mad.  I  expect  that  you  will  be  offended  and  angry. 
But  I  must  speak,  even  though  by  sneaking  I  anger  you  past 
forgiveness." 

Floris  half  rose,  but  sunk  back  again,  and  opened  her  lips, 
as  if  about  to  stop  him;  she  did  pronounce  his  name,  but  al- 
most inaudibly. 

It  is  a  strange,  mysterious  sensation  which  a  girl  experi- 
ences the  first  time  a  man  tells  her  that  he  loves  her,  and  the 
quiet,  I iiirried  words  had  thrown  a  spell  over  her  for  the 
moment  rendering  her  powerless  to  move. 

"Miss  Carlisle! — Floris ! — I  love  you!"  he  said,  bending 
over  her,  his  face  white,  his  lips  tremulous. 

A  swift  tide  of  crimson  flooded  Floris's  face  and  neck,  then 
she,  too,  turned  pale. 

"  Yes,  T  love  you,"  he  repeated.  "  I  don't  dare  to  ask  you 
if — if  you  love  me!  I  know  that  it  is  not  possible.  I  know 
that'!  must  seem  like  a  stranger  to  you.  But  though  you 
may  have  known  me  only  a  few  days,  I  seem  to  have  known 
and  loved  you  for  years.  Floris,  have  pity  on  me !  I  love  you 
vith  all  my  heart  and  soul — 

"itfo,  no,  Lord  Cliff orde — "  she  faltered,  at  last. 

"  Yes,  it  is  true.  I  know  what  you  think.  That  I  am  light- 
md  frivolous — that — that — I  am  only  one  of  the  butterflies  in 
ihe  world,  of  no  use  or  value;  but,  Floris,  if  you  will  let  me 
love  you,  if  you  will  love  me  a  little  in  return ;  if  you  will 
only  try  to  love  me,  I  will  prove  to  you  that  I  will  be  less  un- 
worthy of  yon — 

"Oh,  hush!"  she  said,  trembling,  a  great  wave  of  tender- 
ness and  pity  sweeping  over  her  heart  for  the  handsome,  true- 


MY  LADY   PRIDS.  ?3 

Eearted  boy.  "  Don't  say  any  more,  Lord  Clifforde.  You — • 
you — mistake!  It  is  I  who  would  be  unworthy  of  you." 

"  Floris  !"  reproachfully.,  passionately. 

"Yes',  yes!  Who  am  I  that  you  should  so  humble  your- 
self? Oh,  do  not  say  any  more!  I  am  sorry — very,  very 
sorry  I" 

"  Then— then — "  he  faltered,  looking  down  at  her. 

"  Indeed,  I  am  very  sorry  I"  she  repeated ;  "  but  I  did  not 
jlmow,  indeed  I  did  not!" 

"  No,  or  you  would  have  treated  me  coldly  and  kept  me 
away !"  he  said,  sorrowfulty. 

Then,  with  a  wild  hope  that  was  almost  despair,  he  took  her 
hand  in  his  hot  one  and  pressed  it  fiercely. 

"Floris,  is  it,  must  it  be  'No?9  Will  you  not  give  me 
some  little  hope?  I  will  be  patient!  I  will  not  plague! 
You  shall  see  how  patient  I  can  be — 

"Oh,  hush!  hush!"  she  said.  "Do  not  say  another  word, 
Lord  Clifforde.  It  must  be  '  No  P  I — I  cannot  love  you.  I 
am  very,  very  grateful  for  the  honor  you  have  done  me,  and 
I  know  how  great  an  honor  it  is !  I  wish — yes,  I  will  say 
it! — I  wish  that  I -could  have  answered  differently,  but  I 
cannot." 

She  let  her  hand  rest  in  his  while  she  spoke,  then  she  drew 
it  gently  away. 

He  let  it  go,  slowly,  reluctantly,  and  his  lips  parted  with  a 
long  sigh,  as  if  something  had  gone  from 'his  life;  then  with  a 
brave  effort  he  forced  a  smile. 

"  You  have  been  very  good  to  me,  Miss  Carlisle,"  he  said, 
and  his  voice  rang  with  the  pain  that  tortured  him.  "  You 
have  been  more  patient  than  I  deserve.  I  will  say  '  Good- 
bye/ now." 

"There  shall  be  no  word  of  ' goodness '  or  '  patience'  be- 
tween us,  Lord  Clifforde,"  she  said,  "  and  if  we  cannot — if  I 
^cannot  be  to  you  all  that  vou  wish,  at  least  we  can  be  friends 
still." 

Poor  Bertie  smiled  sadly  and  shook  his  head. 

"  How  little  you  understand !"  he  murmured.  "  I  know 
what  you  think,  Miss  Carlisle.  You  have  heard,  you  know, 
that  I  do  not  bear  the  highest  character  for  wisdom,  and  you 
think  that  because  my  past  has  been  frivolous  and  foolish, 
that  I  shall  get  over  this  and  forget  it.  Ah,  you  do  not 
understand  how  deeply  I  love  you!  All  my  life  will  be 
thanged  from  this  hour." 


74  MY   LADY  PRIDE. 

"  Oh,  Lord  Clifforde  \" 

"  Yes,  Floras;  I  shall  not  get  over  this  so  easily;  I  shall  not 
try  to  forget  it.  If  I  cannot  have  your  love,  I  can  at  least 
endeavor  to  be  less  unworthy  of  it.  You  ask  me  to  remain 
your  friend.  Floris,  all  my  life  I  shall  think  tenderly  of  you, 
and  of  myself  as  your  lover.  Do  you  think  I  could  bear  to 
see  you  day  after  day,  knowing  that  there  can  be  no  hope  for 
me;  that  I  could  endure  to  meet  you  as  -an  ordinary  friend 
when  all  the  time  my  heart  was  burning  in  the  desire  to  make 
you  my  wife  ?  No !  I  must  go  away.  Good-bye.  Some  day 
— who  knows — I  may  be  able  to  meet  you  without  the  pang  of 
misery  and  disappointment  which  I  feel  now.  Good-bye." 

His  voice,  the  boyish  voice  which  only  this  morning  had 
rung  out  merrily,  the  musical  voice  which  to  Floris's  ears  had 
always  something  of  laughter  in  it,  was  very  grave  and  sad 
and  his  eyes  resting  on  her  face  were  full  of  a  great  despair. 

She  put  out  her  hand  in  silence,  feeling  that  any  word  from 
her  would  be  worse  than  useless. 

He  took  her  hand,  held  it  for  a  moment,  then  raised  it 
toward  his  lips. 

"May  I?"  he  asked,  simply — too  noble  and  chivalrous  to 
snatch  a  kiss  by  stealth. 

She  did  not  speak,  but  her  eyes,  in  which  the  tears  were 
stcanding,  answered  for  her. 

Poor  Bertie  kissed  her  hand  twice,  then  turned  and  hurried 
away. 


Floris  sat  under  the  stately  palms  sad  and  troubled. 

No  girl  who  is  worth  anything  refuses  an  offer  from  an  hon- 
orable iriRii  without  being  sad  and  sorrowful,  especially  if  she 
really  likes  the  man,  arm  only  just  stop*,  short  of  loving  him, 
and  Floris  really  did  like  Bertie.  i 

His  merry,  boyish  laugh,  his  frank,  brotherly  way  had 
been  very  pleasant  to  her ;  she  only  just  discovered  how  pleas- 
ant now  that  she  had  lost  them — perhaps  forever. 

Another  girl  might  also  have  remembered  and  regretted 
that  she  had  refused  a  viscount ;  buC Floris  gave  no  thought 
to  Pertie's  rank. 

If  was  of  himself  she  thought,  a?  she  sat  with  downcast  face, 
and  hands  listlessly  in  her  la]). 

Why  had  she  sent  him  away?  Why  had  she  not  tried  to 
love  him?  At  any  rate,  why  had  she  not  asked  for  time? 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  75 

She  asked  herself  these  questions,  and  did  not  dare  to 
answer  them. 

There  are  times  when  we  shrink  from  examining  our  own 
hearts,  lest  we  should  discover  the  truth,/  and  Floris  shrunk 
from  examining  hers,  lest  she  should  find  an  answer  there 
which  would  fill  her  with  shame  and  confusion. 

With  a  sigh  she  rose,  then  suddenly  remembering  that  she 
was  alone,  and  that  she  could  not  very  well  enter  the  ball- 
room unattended,  she  resumed  her  seat,  quite  contented  to 
remain  in  the  quiet  and  cool  for  a^time. 

Presently  the  band,  which  had  been  playing  a  square  dance, 
ceased,  and  the  couples  began  to  find  their  way  into  the  con- 
servatory. 

Unwilling  to  be  discovered  Floris  rose  and  retreated  still 
further  into  the  dim  region  of  palms  and  ferns,  and  found 
another  seat  still  more  secluded  than  the  last.  It  was  so  far 
removed  from  the  ball-room,  that  but  for  the  sound  of  voices, 
and  reflection  of  the  lights  on  the  fountains,  she  might  have 
fancied  herself  in  the  recesses  of  some  tropical  forest. 

While  she  was  sitting  there,  a  gardener  passed  by,  and  half 
startled  by  the  apparition  of  a  beautiful  lady  in  a  white  dress, 
touched  his  hat  respectfully  and  apologetically,  and  turned  off 
through  a  door  partly  concealed  by  creeping  plants. 

Floris  was  just  thinking  that  if  she  chose  she  might  remain 
undiscovered  till  the  ball  broke  up,  when  she  heard  the  rustle 
of  a  woman's  dress,  and  a  man's  voice  close  behind  her. 

At  the  sound  of  the  voice,  Floris  started.  Although  it  had 
only  uttered  one  word  she  recognized  it. 

It  was  Lord  Norman !  She  looked  around  anxiously,  and 
saw,  through  the  fern  leaves,  Lord  Norman  and  Lady  Blanche 
sauntering  down  the  narrow  path. 

Lady  Blanche  was  magnificently  dressed  in  an  Indian  silk 
of  the  thinnest  fil^re,  and  of  the  palest  pink. 

It  was  studded  with  pearls  in  the  oriental  fashion,  and  fit- 
ted her  to  perfection.  Nestling  in  her  golden  hair  were 
flowerets  of  diamonds,  that  sparkled  and  gleamed  like  fire- 
flies in  the  fitful  light. 

The  beautiful  face,  usually  so  cold  and  impassive,  wore  a 
faint,  soft  smile,  that  played  about  the  perfect  lips  and  shone 
in  the  velvety  eyes. 

As  they  approached,  Floris  saw  that  she  had  clasped  Lord 
Normal's  arm,  oa  which  she  leaned  with  her  other  hand,  and 


76  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

fchat  her  fao«  was  turned  up  to  his  with  a  happy,  child-like 
smile. 

Then  Floris  looked  at  him.  Surely  tt.ere  would  be  an 
answering  smile  on  his  face!  No  man  c*  uld  resist  the  en- 
treaty in  those  dark,  velvety  eyes ! 

But  th«r®  was  no  responsive  happiness  on  his  face;  grave, 
almost  grim,  it  seemed  by  contrast  with  ner,  and  Floris  saw 
'/that,  though  he  was  presumably  listening  to  her,  his  atten- 
tion was  straying,  and  that  he  was  thinking  of  something  else 
than  the  beautiful  woman  clinging  so  lovingly,  so  appealingly, 
to  his  arm. 

"  I  am  so  glad  you  have  come,  Bruce !  "  Floris  heard  her 
murmur.  "  You  said  you  did  not  intend  to,  and  I  was  look- 
ing forward  to  a  blank  evening."  * 

"  I  changed  my  mind,"  he  said,  if  not  coldly,  carelessly. 

"  That  is  a  woman's  privilege,  and  one  they  do  not  extend 
to  men,  Bruce,"  she  retorted,  with  a  smile  that  seemed  signifi- 
cant to  Floris. 

"Oh,  men  have  all  your  weaknesses  as  well  as  their  own, 
Blanche,"  he  said. 

Floris  looked  around  for  some  means  of  escape. 

To  be  found  by  them,  playing,  as  it  would  seem,  at  eaves- 
dropping !    The  idea  was  terrible !    But  there  was  no  exit  save  * 
by  a  narrow  path  in  which  they  stood,  and  hoping  that  they 
would  turn  back,  Floris  drew  still  closer  into  her  leafy  shelter 
and  tried  not  to  listen. 

"  Shall  we  sit  down,  Bruce  ?  "  asked  Lady  Blanche. 

Floris's  heart  quaked. 

"  If  you  like,"  he  assented.  "  But  hadn't  we  better '  go 
back  and  dance  this  waltz  ?  You  won't  care  about  missing  it, 
you  know." 

"  I  don't  mind  in  the  least,"  she  said.     "  If  you  would 
rather  sit  it  out,  let  us  do  so.     We  can  find  a  seat." 
\    "  The  only  legitimate  excuse  for  a  ball  is  dancing,"  he  said. 
"  We  will  go  back." 

Floris  drew  a  breath  of  relief. 

"  Wait  a  moment  or  two,  Bruce,"  said  Lady  Blanche.  "  I 
have  something  to  tell  you." 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  with  a  politeness  that  was  worse  than  the 
most  pointed  indifference,  and  he  looked  down  at  her  pa- 
tiently. 

Lady  Blanche  hung  her  head  and  pulled  at  the  pearls  ©n 
her  Ian. 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  77 

'*  t  don't  know  how  to  tell  you,  Bruce !  And  yet  I  must. 
You  seem  the  only  friend^the  only  one  to  whom  T  can  come 
when  I  am  in  trouble.  It  seems  so  natural  to  think  of  you  as 
a  friend,  and  adviser,  Bruce !  "  and  she  glanced  up  at  him, 
with  a  soft,,  lingering  sigh. 

Floris,  trying  not  to  listen,  heard  every  word,  saw  the  up- 
ward glance,  heard  the  tender,  pleading  little  sigh,  and  ap« 
preeiated  them  as  only  a  woman  could. 

Surely  not  even  Lord  Norman  could  withstand  them ! 

He  was  silent  a  moment,   during  which   Floris,  with  aH- 
aching  at  her  heart,  expected  to  see  him  put  his  arm  retina} 
the  slim  waist  and  draw  the  beautiful  woman  to  him  with* 
murmured  wor,ds  of  endearment.     But  instead,  he  said,  with 
a  half  smile : 

"  What  have  you  been  doing,  Blanche  ?  Overdrawing  your 
account  ?  Laming  my  lord's  favorite  mare  ?  Or  what  ?  " 

"Ah,  if  it  were  only  a  little  trouble  like  that,  Bru@e,  I 
could  laugh  at  it  as  easily  as  you  do — 

"  I  wasn't  laughing,  Blanche." 

"  But — but  this  is  a  greater  one.  Bruce,  I  find  it  hard  to 
tell  you—  " 

"  Don't,  then ;  tell  me  to-morrow,"  he  said,  gravely,  ami 
almost,  so  Floris  fancied,  with  an  air  of  relief. 

Lady  Blanche  sighed. 

"  No,  I  must  tell  you  now,  Bruce !  To-morrow  may  be  too 
late !  "  and  she  glanced  up  at  him  piteously.  "  Bruce,  Lord 
Hawksley  called  this  afternoon.  I  was  out,  here,  at  the  fair, 
but  he  came  to  dinner  and — he  came  to  see  me." 

Her  voice  sank,  and  her  hand  closed  nervously  on  his  arm. 

"Did  he?"  he  remarked,  carelessly.  "What  did  the  old 
antediluvian  want  ?  " 

"  Bruce !  "  in  a  low,  thrilling  tone.  "  He  came  to  ask  me 
to  be  his  wife." 

Lord  Norman  did  not  start,  but  he  looked  surprised  and  in- 
dignant. 

"  He  did !  " 

.   Then  he  laughed,  and  at  the  laugh  Lady  Blanche's  face, 
went  deadly  white,  as  if  he  had  struck  her. 

"  Forgive  me,  Blanche.  But  Hawksley !  Why,  great 
heavens,  he  is  as  old  as  Meihusaleh !  Why,  he  was  an  old 
man  when  I  was  a  boy !  He  must  be  eighty — more !  " 

"And  you  laugh ! "  murmured  Lady  Blanche  between  her 
cloned  lips. 


78  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon!  But  could  you  help  it?  Hawksley ! 
Why,  he  has  more  than  one  leg  in  the  grave,  and  is  as  false 
as  one  of  the  models  at  Madam  Tussaud's !  His  wig  and  teeth 
and  enameled  complexion  used  to  be  the  joke  when  I  first 
came  to  town.  And  he  proposed  to  you !  Of  course  you  gave 
him  a  speedy  answer,  Blanche  ? " 

She  opened  her  fan  and  looked  at  it. 

"  No,  Bruce.  I — Lord  Hawksley  is  an  old  friend  of  my 
father's." 

"  He  might  have  been  of  your  grandfather's,"  retorted  Lord 
Gorman. 

"And—and—' 

"  He  is  the  richest  and  best  parti  in  London.  I  know  all 
that,  Blanche,  but  all  the  same,  I  don't  suppose  you  said  any- 
thing but  'MV* 

F  lor  is  could  see  that  she  was  trying  him;  any  one  but 
a   man  would  have  understood  the  trap  she  was  setting  for 
him,  but  Lord  Norman  was  a  man  and  altogether  uncon- 
scious. 

FlonYs  heart  beat  fast.  How  would  it  end?  Would  the 
beautiful  siren,  with  her  pitiless  tale,  win  the  day? 

"  Xo,  Bruce,"' she  faltered.  "  Oh,  don't  be  angry  with  me! 
You  don't  understand  how  we  women  are  placed  ! ; 

"  No,  I  don't,"  he  retorted.  "  But  I  do  understand  that 
when  a  girl  is  asked  by  a  man  who  is  old  enough  to  be  her 
grandfather,  to  be  his  wife,  that  the  sooner  she  sends  him 
about  his  business  the  better." 

"Ah,  it  is  so  easy  for  you  to  say  that!"  she  murmured. 
"  You  are  a  man,  and  your  own  master !  You  can  pick  and 
choose  where  you  will!  But  T  am  a  woman,  Bruce,  and  am 
not  my  own  mistress.  Bruce,  my  father  really  wishes  me  to 
marry !. " 

"  But  not  Lord  Hawksley  ?  "  he  said. 
;      She  glanced  up  at  him,  and  opened  and  shut  her  fan  again. 

"He  is  anxious  ';hat  T  should  marry,  Bruce,-  and  Lord 
Hawksley  is  an  old  friend  of  his !  And — and — there  is  no  one 
i else." 

Now,  thought  Floris,  he  will  take  her  in  his  arms  and 
tell  her  that  there  is  some  one  else,  that  there  is  Lord  Nar- 
Di  an ! 

But  Lord  Norman  did  nothing  nf  the  kind. 

"  That's  nonsense,  Blanche !  There  are  a  dozen  some  one 
elees !  I  could  count  up  a  dozen  men  who  are  head  over  heels, 


MY   LADY  PRIDE.  79 


dying  in  love,  and  any  one  of  whom  ^itid  go  half  out  of 
his  mind  with  delight  if  you  threw  tlu«  handkerchief  to 
them  !  " 

She  erimeoned,  then  turned  pale. 

"  But  —  but,  Bruce  !  1  don't  care  f<w  a«y  one  of  them/'  she 
murmured. 

"  And  certainly  you  don't  eare  for  oid  .  Hawksley  !  "  he  said, 
quickly.  "  So  why  choose  him  ?  " 

u  lie  is  my  father's  choice,  not  mine!  "she  said  turning  her 
head  away. 

He  stood  silent  and  troubled.  Should  he  hold  out  his  hand 
and  say  :  • 

"  Blanche,  here  am  11     Will  you  choose  me?" 

Why  should  he  not?  A  few  months  —  a  few  weeks  —  ago  he 
was  quite  ready  ;  was  on  the  verge  of  doing  so. 

Why  should  he  not  now?  She  was  supremely  beautiful,  of 
high  rank—  his  equal  —  a  peerless  creature,  fit  to  adorn  a 
court  I 

Great  heavens,  what  more,  or  higher,  did  he  heed  to  ex- 
pect ? 

He  asked  himself  the  question,  half  angrily  —  impatient 
with  himself  —  inwardly  raging  at  his  want  of  firmness,  at  his 
incapacity  of  forcing  himself  to  do  it. 

Then,  suppressing  his  angry  air,  he  did  turn  to  her  and 
said  ; 

"  Blanche  — 

But  before  he  could  get  any  further,  before  the  glad,  ex- 
pectant light  had  scarcely  time  to  come  to  her  eyes,  a  voice  — 
a  clear,  thin  voice,  the  unmistakable  treble  of  Lady  Betty  — 
chimed  in  between  ihein. 

"  Floris  !     Floris,  my  dear  :  where  are  you  ?  " 

As  if  the  name  "Floris"  had  fallen  from  the  lips  of  Ir° 
guardian   angel.   Lord   Norman   stopped    short,   and,   with   c; 
sudden  start,  turned  toward  her. 

Floris  saw  him  start,  saw  him  turn  pale.  Was  he  angry 
with  Lady  Betty  for  interrupting  them? 

And  what  on  earth  should  she,  Floris,  do!  She  could  not 
possibly  come  out  now.  Inwardly  chafing  at  her  situation, 
she  had  borne  it  as  best  she  could,  and  she  must  bear  it  a  little 
longer. 

"  Bruce  !  Here  you  are  !  How  do  you  do,  my  dear 
Blanche?" 

The  two  women  shook  hands  coldly,  and  if  a  fiance  from 


80  MY   LADY   PRIDft. 

one  woman's  eyes  should  kill  another,  then  Lady  Blanche's 
would  have  slain  Lady  Betty  on  the  spot. 

"So  provoking!"  said  Lady  Betty.  "I've  lost  Miss  Car- 
lisle !  I've  been  looking  for  ner  everywhere.  Of  course,  it 
Sofesn't  matter — I  mean  I  don't  suppose  she  has  disappeared 
for  good,  but  all  the  men  she  has  promised  dances  to  are 
.bothering  me  about  her." 

"  I  didn't  know  Miss  Carlisle  was  here,"  said  Lord  Norman, 
jand  his  voice  seemed  suddenly  lightened. 

Lady  Blanche  leaned  upon  his  arm,  with  a  silent,  haughtily 
preoccupied  air,  as  if  the  absolute  murder  of  Miss  Carlisle 
could  not  affect  her. 

"  Oh,  yes ;  she  is  here,  and  has  made  quite  a  success !  "  said 
Lady  Betty,  glancing  with  pretty  spitefulness  at  Lady  Blanche. 
"  That  is  just  it !  Another  girl  would  not  be  missed,  bnt  the 
men  are  plaguing  my  life  out,  and  I  must  find  her !  " 

"  She  can  not  be  far  off,"  he  said,  looking  round. 

Floris  drew  closer  under  her  fern  ambush. 

"Where  did  you  see  her  last,  Betty?" 

"  She  was  dancing  with  Bertie,  and  I  think  they  walked  off 
in  this  direction.  Good  gracious!  I  never  thought  of  that! 
You  know  how  dreadfully  reckless  Bertie  is !  Do  you  think 
he  can  have  persuaded  her  to— to  go  off  with  him  anywhere  ?  " 

"  Nonsense !  "  said  Lord  Bruce,  almost  fiercely.  "  Where 
can  they  go  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  Lady  Betty,  with  characteristic 
vagueness,  "  He  has  certainly  disappeared  also !  " 

Lord  Norman's  face  darkened. 

"I  think  I  should  like  to  go  into  the  room  again,  Bruce; 
this  place  strikes  me  rather  chilly,  does  it  not  ?  "  murmured 
,Lady  Blanche,  with  haughty  languor.. 

He  started. 

"  Eh  ?  Oh,  yes !  Certainly.  Look  in  the  anterooms,  Betty," 
'he  said,  over  his  shoulder,  as  he  led  Lady  Blanche  away. 

They  had  no  sooner  got  clear  away  than  Floris  stepped  from 
her  nook  so  suddenly  as  to  make  Lady  Betty  jump. 

"  Good  gracious,  my  dear !  You  nearly  frightened  me  out 
of  my  life !  In  your  white  dress  you  looked  Hke  a  ghost !  " 

"  1  might  say  like  the  burglar  who  was  discovered  under- 
neath the  bed  by  the  lady ;  I  don't  see  why  I  should  frighten 

m,  seeing  that  you  have  been  looking  for  me  so  long !  "  said 

oris,  with  a  very  quiet  smile, 

Lady  Betty  laughed. 


MY   LABY   FRM)E.  $1 

€€  Now  that  is  just  like  you !  Instead  of  apologizing  for  all 
the  trouble  you  have  given  me,  you  make  me  laugh !  " 

"  I  am  very  sorry,     said  Floris. 

,     "  So  you  might  be,  my  dear.     But  what  are  you  doing  here  ? 
And  where  is  Bertie  ?  " 

"  I  was  resting,"  said  Floris ;  "  and  it  was  so  quiet  and  cool 
that  I  remained  longer  than  I  expected." 

"And  Bertie — he  was  with  you,  wasn't  he  ?  "  asked  Lady 
Betty. 

"  Yes,  but  Lord  Clifforde  left  rne  som©  time  ago,"  said 
Floris,  struggling  hard  to  keep  the  color  from  her  face. 

Lady  Betty  looked  at  her  rather  curiously. 

"Ah,  well,  come  back  now,  dear,  will  you?  The  men  you 
have  promised  are  going  about  in  the  most  wretched  state  of 
mind— ' 

"  I  don't  think  I  will  dance  again  to-night,  Lady  Pendle- 
ton,"  said  Floris,  quietly.  "  I  have  rather  a  headache,  and  I 
would  like  to  stay  here —  " 

"  But,  gracious  me,  one  doesn't  come  to  a  ball  to  sit  in  a 
conservatory !  "  exclaimed  Lady  Betty,  remonstratingly. 

•  "  I  have  danced  a  great  deal  to-night.  Please  let  me  stay/* 
she  pleaded,  feeling  that  she  would  do  anything  rather  than 
whirl  round  the  garish  room  after  all  that  had  happened  be- 
tween poor  Bertie  and  her. 

"  Oh,  very  well,  my  dear.  Well,  stay  here  for  half  am 
hour,  and  then  I'll  come  for  you.  You  do  look  pale  and 
tired,  and  it  has  been  a  hard  day.  It  is  beautifully  quiet 
here,  certainly.  I'll  come  back  in  half  an  hour/' 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Floris,  gratefully,  and  she  went  back 
to  her  secluded  corner. 

There  she  sat  for  some  moments,  wondering  whether  La3y 
Blanche  had  gained  her  victory,  or  whether  Lord  Norman 
had  not  yet  said  the  words  which  would  make  him  hers. 

And  why,  she  asked  herself ,  angrily,  should  she  trouble  her- 
self about  Lord  Norman  and  Lady  Blanche ! 

What  could  it  possibly  matter  to  her  whether  Lady  Blanche 
won  or  lost  him !  With  an  impatient  gesture  she  picked  up 
her  fan,  resolved  to  go  back  into  the  ball-room  and  waltz  Lord 
Norman  out  of  her  thoughts,  when  suddenly  she  heard  his 
step — she  knew  it  so  well  already — close  beside  her,  and  the 
next  moment  he  put  aside  the  fern  leaves  and  was  looking 
down  at  her. 

look  of  glad  surprise  in  his  face,  a  flash  of 


82  MY    LADY    1'KIDE. 

light  in  his  eyes,  as  they  rested  on  hers,  that  went  straight  to 
Florists  heart,  so  that,  instead  of  looking  up  at  him  with  cold, 
haughty  indifference,  her  eyes  drooped  with  a  strange  heavi- 
ness, and  flinched  before  him. 

"  At  last !  "  lie  said,  in  a  low  voice.  "  Where  have  you 
been  hiding?  or  rather,  seeing  that  you  are  here,  why  have 
you  been  hiding,  Miss  Carlisle?" 

"1  have  not  been  hiding,"  she  answered,  trying  to  speak 
coldly.  "I  have  been  resting  here." 

"  I  have  been  looking  for  you  all  over  the  place,"  he  said, 
the  happy  lightness  of  his  face  contrasting  strangely  with  the 
grimness  of  a  few  minutes  ago. 

"  I  am  sorry.     I  will  go  back  now,"  she  said,  rising. 

"  Oh  !  but  is  that  fair  ?  "  he  said,  expostulatingly.  "  Just  as 
I  have  found  you,  and  in  such  a  delicious  little  nook,  you 
want  io  leave  it.  Please  do  not  forget  that  though  you  are 
rested,  1  am  not.  You  don't  know  how  many  miles  I  have 
walked  in  search  of  you !" 

As  he  spoke  she  felt  rather  than  saw  the  dark  eyes  travel- 
ing over  her;  felt  rather  than  saw  the  intense  admiration  he 
bestowed  upon  her. 

There  is  no  reason  why  you  should  not  remain,  Lord 
Norman,"  she  said, -gathering  up  the  trail  of  her  dress;  "I 
can  find  my  way  back  alone." 

"You  shall  not  do  that!"  he  said,  with  a  sigh,  "if  you 
will  go.  But,  will  you  not  stay  five — only  five  minutes  longer? 
You  looked  quite  contented,  and  as  if  you  meant  growing 
here,  until  I  came  up.  I  am  afraid  I  disturbed  you.  Per- 
haps I  had  better  go !"  and  he  let  the  ferns  fall  from  his  hand. 

Floris  did  not  speak. 

"Then  I  may  stay?"  he  said,  and  taking  her  silence  as  an 
affirmative,  he  sat  down  on  a  clump  of  rustic  work  at  her 
elbow,  and  looked  down  at  her. 

Floris's  heart  beat  fast.  She  racked  her  brain  for  some 
commonplace  remark  to  hide  her  confusion,  and  to  make  him 
think  that  his  presence  was  of  no  consequence  to  her;  but  she 
could  find  nothing — nothing — to  say. 

He  was  silent  for  some  minutes,  then  he  looked  round. 

"What  a  delightful  retreat  you  have  discovered!"  he  said. 
slowly.  "No  wonder  you  were  reluctant -to  leave  it!  And 
yet  you  have  made  a  '  success,'  as  Lady  Betty  would  say.  Do 
you  know  that  your  absence  is  causing  quite  a  commotion 
imong  the  dancing  men  ?" 


MY   LADY    PRIDE.  83 

Floris  smiled.     * 

"  They  can  easily  be  consoled,  my  lord,"  she  said.  "  But 
you  remind  me  of  my  broken  engagements;  I  will  go  and 
save  some  of  them." 

"Not  yet/'  he  said  curtly.  u  My  five  minutes  are  not  up 
yet.  But  I  will  release  you,  if  you  give  me  the  next  dance !  " 

"  My  card  is  full,"  she  said,  firmly. 

"  Then  I  will  take  the  remainder  of  my  time,"  he  retorted- 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment,  then,  looking  down  on  the 
ground,  he  said: 

"  I  am  glad  that  I  have  found  you  here ;  it  gives  me  an  op- 
portunity of  saying  good-by !" 

Floris  started  and  looked  up  at  him  with  a  sudden  glance 
of  alarm ;  but  he  was  staring  moodily  at  the  door  and  did 
not  even  see  it. 

"  Yesy  my  lord?"  she  said,  steeling  herself  to  speak  coldly. 

"Yes,  'my  lady/"  he  responded,  mocking  her  cold  for- 
mality. "  Yes,  I  am  off  to-morrow.  I  promised  you  that  I 
would  stay  over  this  fair,  and  I  have  done  so — 

"  You  promised  Lady  Pendleton,"  said  Floris,  quietly.  He 
kicked  at  a  broken  leaf  impatiently. 

"  I  promised  you ;  I  stayed  because  you  asked  me,"  he  said, 
emphatically ;  "  and  you  know  it." 

Floris,  trembling,  picked  up  her  fan. 

He  looked  at  his  watch. 

"  I  have  just  two  minutes  more,  if  you  please  I"  he  said, 
significantly. 

"Are  you  going  to  be  away  long?"  asked  Floris,  for  the 
sake  of  saying  something,  and  speaking  as  very  indifferently 
as  she  could. 

"  I  don't  know.  I  dare  say.  Two  or  three  years,  per- 
haps !"  gloomily. 

Floris  did  not  speak. 

"  Why  should  I  come  back  ?"  he  went  on.     "  I  am  tired  of 

London  life — for  the  matter  of  that,  I  am  tired  of  life  alto- 

<  gether.     It  seems  to  me  that  the  clever  individual  who  wrote 

the  book  called  '  Is  Life  Worth  Living?'  might  have  saved 

'himself  the  trouble,  seeing  that  everybody  knows  the  answer! 

Life  is  only  worth  living  when  one  can  get  what  one  wants, 

and  as  one  never  gets  the  one  thing  that  one  wants  above  all 

others,  why  the  game  is  not  worth  the  candle !" 

"And  yet  you  have  so  much,"  murmured  Floris. 

"  Oh,  yes.     I  know !"  he  said,  bitterly,     "  I  know  what  you 


84  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

would  say;  I  am  a  peer  of  the  realm;  I  am*  rich — thanks  to  a 
fluke  of  the  law,  which  has  enriched  rne  at  the  expense  of 
others." 

Floris  colored,,  and  turned  her  head  aside. 

"  I  have  heaps  of  friends,  am  my  own  master,  and  che  rest 
of  it !  And  yet  I  question  whether  there  is  a  more  miserable 
man  in  London  than  I  am  to-night,  for  I  have  set  my  heart 
upon  a  thing,  and  I  cannot  get  it." 

"  I  think  the  five  minutes  are  up,  my  lord,"  said  Floris. 

Tie  took  no  notice  of  her  reminder,  but  sat  staring  at  the 
ground. 

"  So,  Miss  Carlisle,  I  will  say  good-by.  May  I  say  that  I 
hope  I  go  carrying  your  good  wishes  with  me?  Don't  speak 
for  a  minute,  please !"  as  Floris  was  framing  a  commonplace 
on  her  lips.  "  "  I  know  that— that  you  dislike  me !  No,  I  will 
not  say-  that !  You  are  too  good  and  gentle  to  dislike  any 
one  !  I  will  not  say  dislike !  But  I  cannot  but  feel  that  my 
presence  is  distasteful  to  you.  How  can  it  be  otherwise,  see- 
ing that  it  reminds  you  of  all  you  and  yours  have  lost. 
Heaven  knows  that  if  you  would  accept  it  I  would  restore  it 
all  to  you — every  penny." 

"  My  lord !"  coldly,  proudly,  and  yet  with  a  tremor  in  her 
voice  she  tried  hard  to  conceal. 

"  There !  I  beg  your  pardon !  I  know — I  say  I  know  it  is 
not  possible !  Do  you  think  I  have  not  learned  for  myself  how 
proud  you  are,  even  if  you  had  not  told  m&  in  so  many  writ- 
ten word R  !"  and  he  touched  his  breast.  "  Yes,  I  keep  your 
note  still,  to  make  me  miserable  when  I  am  far  away!"  and 
he  laughed  bitterly. 

Floris  drew  her  cloak  around  "her  and  turned  her  head 
from  him. 

"  I  shall  often  look  at  that  note,  Miss  Carlisle.  It  will 
servo  to  remind  me  that  life  is  not  worth  living.  But,  I  beg 
yon  r  pardon,  I  am  keeping  you." 

He  got  up,  then,  before  she  could  move,  he  sat  down 
again.  / 

"  Will  you  not  say  that  you  wish  me  well,  Miss  Carlisle?" 

Floris  opened  her  lips,  but  for  a  moment  no  sound  came, 
then,  at  last,  she  murmured  very  softly : 

"Yes!    ^1  wish  you  every  happiness,  my  lord!" 

"  Thank  you !"  be  replied.  "  But  if  it  is  any  consolation  to 
you,  let  me  assure  you  that  your  wish  is  quite  in  vain.  I  am 
not  happy,  and  I  shall  not  be.  Shall  I  tell  yon  why?" 


M1T  LADY  PRIM.  85 

Floris  was  silent,  and  he  did  not  speak  for  a  minute. 

"  Yes,,  I  will  tell  you !"  he  said.,  as  if  he  had  been  debat- 
ing in  his  mind  whether  he  should  do  so  or  not.  "  Miss  Car- 
lisle, I  am  going  to  make  you  very  angry.  It  is  probable  that 
^•when  I  have  spoken,  you  will  forbid  me  ever  to  speak  to  y^ou 
again.  I  am  a  fool  to  speak !  All  day  I  have  been  telling 
myself  that  it  would  be  better  for  me  to  take  myself  off  in 
silence,  but  I  cannot.  I  am  like  the  man  who  stole  a  fox,  and 
who  concealed  it  under  his  vest,  and  was  silent  until  the  last 
moment.  This  is  my  last  moment,  and  I  must  speak,  though 
the  words  separate  us  forever." 

He  was  silent  while  one  could  count  ten,  and  Floris 
plucked  up  courage  to  smile  quietly. 

"  Had  you  not  better  conceal  your  fox  a  little  longer,  my 
lord?" 

"  No  I"  he  said.  "  This  is  what  I  have  to  say :  "  Miss  Car- 
lisle, I  love  you !" 


CHAPTER   X. 

THE   STRANGER'S   TRAP. 

I 

As  he  spoke  the  momentous  words,  not  falteringly,  as  did 
poor  Bertie,  but  with  a  grim  intensity,  with  brows  knit,  and 
lips  set  firmly,  Floris's  heart  seemed  to  stop  beating,  then  gave 
a  great  leap  of  wild  joy,  of  ecstatic  triumph,  of  the  sublime 
satisfaction  of  one  who  has  been  long  athirst,  and  feels  the 
cup  of  life-saving  water  at  her  lips. 

"  I  love  you !"  he  said. 

A  deep  crimson  spread  over  Floris's  face  and  neck,  and  her 
>eyes,  sunk,  heavily  weighted,  while  her  hands  closed  on  her 
if  an  with  a  spasmodic  grasp;  but  she  said  no  word. 

She  could  not;  if  she  had  tried  to  speak,  her  lips  would 
only  have  echoed  that  grim,  emphatic  avowal : 

"  I  love  you  I" 

"  You  are  angry ! "  he  said,  in  a  very  low  voice.  "  T  ex- 
pected it.  You  think  I  have  no  right  to  tell  you  this  after 
the  unmistakable  signs  of  aversion  you  have  bestowed  on  inc. 
I  know  it.  I  plead  guilty.  But  I  cannot  help  it.  This  is 
tfee  last  time  we  shall  meet — you  will  be  glad,  I  know.  We 
foave  never  met  yet  but  I  have  offended  you,  and  you  have 


MY  LADY  PRIDE. 

found  it  necessary  to — yes,  snub  me !     But  this  is  the  very 
last  time,  and — and — will  you  forgive  me?" 

She  did  not  speak ;  she  could  not.  He  stooped  and  took  up 
his  opera  hat,  and  looked  from  it  to  her  as  if  hesitating 
whether  to  go  or  wait  for  a  word. 

"  Will  you  not  speak  to  me?"  he  said,  gravely. 

Still  she  was  silent. 

Then,  as  if  his  passion  goaded  him  beyond  prudence,  hr* 
bent  over  her  and  laid  his  hand  upon  her  arm,  his  stronp 
fingers  burning  hot' and  seeming  to  brand  her  with  their  own 
passion. 

"Floris!  Have  some  pity!  Speak  to  me  kindly!  One 
kind  word !  Your  icy  looks  and  proud  words  have  cut  me  to 
the  heart  often  enough,  Heaven  knows.  Don't -hurt  me  with 
them  now,  now  that  we  are  going  to  part !" 

"Floris,  I  love  you!  I  even  loved  you — think  of  it — be- 
fore I  saw  you !  Even  before  we  met  your  pride  and  scorn 
whipped  and  tortured  me !  Unbend  a  little  now,  Floris. 
Send  me  away — as  I  know  you  will — but  send  me  away  with 
one  kind  word !  Say  '  Bruce,  I  do  not  like  you ;  I  have  cause 
not  to  like  you — or  yours.  Your  name  is  hateful  to  me,  and 
I  am  g] ad  that  you  are  going;  but  I  am  sorry  that  you  love 
me,  and — and  if  you  had  been  another  man — if  you  h$d  borne 
another  name,  I  might  have  loved  you  P 

"Will  you  say  something  like  that,  Floris?  Don't  let  me 
take  away  with  me  for  a  last  remembrance,  to  haunt  me  for 
months,  a  proud,  angry  face,  a  scornful  retort.  I  love  you, 
Floris !  I  shall  love  you,  I  am  afraid,  for  a  long  time !  Tell 
me  that  you  are  sorry  for  me,  at  least!" 

Still  she  was  silent,  her  averted  face  white  and  constrained  3 
her  pride  doing  battle  with  her  love,  and  losing  ground,  incb 
by  inch. 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  Before  Heaven/'  he  said,  "  I  do  not  think  there  was  ever  a 
prouder  woman  or  a  better  hater.  Good-by,  Floris!  T  wish 
that  I  could  hate  you  as  you  evidently  hate  me !" 

He  turned  as  he  spoke,  then  hesitated,  went  back.,  and  took 
up  the  edge  of  her  cloak,  still  warm  from  contact  with  her 
soft,  white  arm. 

"  Good-by,"  he  said,  and  he  bent  and  pressed  the  cloak  to 
his  lips,  not  reverently  and  fearfully,  as  poor  Bertie  bestowed 
his  caress,  but  with  a  fierce,  passionate  wistf  ainess.  "  Good* 
by,  my  Lady  Pride  I" 


MY   LADY   PHTDE.  87 

As  he  bent,  even  as  his  lips  touched  the  soft  swan's-down, 
her  hand  went  out,  not  swiftly,  but  hesitatingly,  reluctantly, 
toward  him. 

He  stopped,,  with  fond,  eager,  hungry  eyes. 

"  Well/'  he  said,  almost  hoarsely. 

"  I  am  sorry,"  she  said,  using  the  very  words  she  had 
used  to  poor  Bertie,  but  how  differently!  Ah,  how  differ 
ently ! 

"  Thanks,"  quietly. 

"And — and — I  wish  you — "'  she  stopped,  her  face  quiver- 
ing, her  lips  trembling,  her  eyes  shrinking  piteously  before 
Ins  passionately  questioning  gaze. 

"  You  wish  me  every  happiness  ?  Thank  you  again,"  he 
said,  with  a  sharp  sigh.  "And  you  forgive  me?  Is  that  what 
you  are  trying  to  say,  and  find  it  so  hard?  Thank  you,.still 
once  more.  Half  a  loaf  is  better  than  nothing.  We  part 
friends.  Give  me  your  hand,  Floris;  your  left  hand,  that's 
nearest  your  heart." 

She  put  out  her  hand  and  he  took  it  and  held  it  so  tightly 
that  it  tingled  with  pain — pain  that  was  an  ecstasy  to  h«r; 
pain  that  she  would  not  have  exchanged  for  the  greatest  eas«. 

"There!"  ho  said,  "I  am  satisfied.  Good-by!"  and  his 
fingers  unclosed. 

But  hers  did  not,  Trembling,  quiveringly,  they  wound 
round  his  hand,  and  held  it  feebly  as  a  child's,  and  yet  as 
strong  as  a  giant's. 

He  did  not  start',  he  uttered  no  wild  exclamation  of  joy,  or 
surprise,  or  delight,  but  he  stood  as  if  he  had.  been  shot,  or 
turned  to  stone,  looking  at  her  averted  face,  now  crimson  with 
shame,  as  if  he  were  dreaming. 

Then  ho  flung  himself  it  her  feet,  and  grasped  her  other*, 
hand,  and  drew  her  to  him,  looking  up  into  her  face  with  pas- 
sionate eyes  that  swear  to  wrest  the  truth  from  her. 

"  Floris !  What  is  this  ?  What  do  you  mean  ?  For 
Heaven's  sake,  don't — don't  play  with  me !  Floris !  You  hold 
my  hand  !  You  do  not  speak — you  do  not  send  me  away  from 
you !  Great  Heavens,  am  I  mad,  or  dreaming,  or  do  you — 
Floris,  do  you  love  me?" 

She  turned  her  head,  and  looked  down  at  him  with  the 
truth  shining  in  the  glorious  eyes  that  were  now  soft  and 
tremulous  with  love,  ay,  with  passion,  answering  to  his  own. 

With  a  low  cry  he  kissed  her  faaads*  quitldj:*  fiercely;  but 
he  was  mot  satieletl  yet. 


88  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

"  My  darling !  Floris !  Speak  to  me !  Tell  me !  I  can't 
|>clir\<>  it  until  1  hear  your  lips  whisper  it!  Floris" — with  a 
swift,  awful  doubt — "you  are  not  playing  with  me?" 

"  No !  I  see  you  are  not !  Forgive  me,,  darling,  but  the 
joy  is  so  sudden,  so  unexpected!  Floris,  tell  me!  Say, 
'  Bruce,  I  do  love  you  !'  '; 

She  bent  her  head,  and  looked  at  him,  and  whispered: 
j    "  Bruce,  I  do  love  you  !" 

He  drew  her  face  down  to  him  and  kissed  her — hot,  burn- 
ing kisses,  that  made  her  blush  and  tremble. 

"  My  darling !     My  beautiful  queen !     You  love  me !" 

He  got  up,  still  holding  her  hand,  and  put  his  other  hand 
to  his  forehead  with  a  low  laugh,  almost  of  apology. 

"And  I  have  mocked  at  love !  "  he  said,  half  to  himself. 

For  a  moment  there  was  silence,  as  he  sat  in  his  old  place, 
holding  her  hand,  and  looking  at  her  as  if  his  hungry  eyes 
could  mid  no  appeasement,  and  she — she  sat  looking  at  noth- 
ing, yet  seeing  him  as  plainly  as  if  her  eyes  were  fixed  on  his 
face. 

So  wrapped  were  they,  so  lost  to  the  outer  world,  that  they 
did  not  see  the  glimmer  of  a  soft,  pink  dress  in  the  shrubs  in 
front  of  them,  did  not  hear  the  quick,  sharp  sob  of  a  woman's 
voice,  or  feel  the  glare  of  a  woman's  eyes,  that  are  not  velvety 
now,  but  almost  black  with  rage  and  jealousy. 

"And  you  love  me!"  he  said  in  an  amazed  whisper. 
"  Why,  Floris,  it  is  almost  past  belief." 

"  Is  it  ?  "  with  a  little,  shy  glance  and  a  fleeting  smile  that 
made  him  long  to  catch  her  to  his  heart. 

"  Yes !     I  always  thought  you  hated  me !" 

"Yes?" 

:'  Yes !     We  never  met  but  we  Quarreled.     I  never  spoke  a 
civil  word  to  you  but  you  froze  me  on  the  spot." 
;  . "  Did  I  ?"  with  a  smile. 

"  That  you  did  !  There  were  times  when  after  you  had  sent 
me  away,  with  an  icy  glance  or  a  word  of  contempt,  that  I 
felt  too  ashamed  and  humiliated  to  live!  Why,  what  made 
you  change  so,  Floris?  Tell  me;  I  am  curious!" 

"  I  have  not  changed !"  with  a  stare  of  amazement  and  de- 
light. "  No  !>?  shaking  her  head,  arid  turning  her  eyes  shame- 
facedly from  his  ardent  gaze.  "No,  I  have  not  changed. 
Will  you  not  look  away  from  me,  Bruce?  You  fill  me  with 
shame — I  loved  you  from  the  first/' 


MY    LADY    PRIDE.  89 

"  Great  Heaven  !"  he  murmured,  in  a  rapture.  "  From  the 
first !  Not  from  the  first,  Floris  ?" 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  making  her  confession  with  averted  eyes 
and  burning  cheeks;  "  I  think  I  loved  you  the  first  night  I 
saw  you.  You — you  told  me  that  you  loved  me,  remember." 

"  Yes,  I  did !  Not  knowing  you  were  you !  But  you — you 
were  pride  and  scorn  and  hauteur  combined." 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  Great  Heaven,  what  actresses  women  are !  And — and—* 
all  the  time?" 

"  Yes,"  she  admitted,  and  the  admission  was  sweet.  "All 
the  time,  Bruce,  I  fought  against  it.  I  told  myself  that  1 
ought  to  hate  you.  I  almost  prayed  that  I  might  learn  to  do 
so.  But  it  was  no  use." 

He  did  not  speak.     His  was  a  joy  too  deep  for  words. 

"And  when  I  felt  it  was  of  no  use,  why,  with  a  sudden 
start,  "I  was  like  to  die  with  shame  when  I  remembered 
that  perhaps  you  were  already  engaged,  that — that  Lady 
Blanche—" 

He  bit  his  lips,  but  his  eyes  met  hers  unflinchingly;  the 
shrubs  opposite  them,  behind  which  Lady  Blanche  stood, 
stirred  and  rustled  as  she  pressed  forward,  straining  her  tor- 
tured ears  to  catch  the  response. 

"  Lady  Blanche  ?"  he  said,  gravely,  almost  coldly.  "  Yes, 
I  know;  Floris,  you  had  nothing  to  fear;  you  were  misled. 
There  was  never  anything  tangible  between  us.  I  never  loved 
her,  never  could  have  loved  her.  And  if  at  any  time  there  had 
been  anything  in  my  heart  to  her  warmer  than  friendship,  it 
would  ha|e  vanished  at  your  presence,  dearest." 

Awful  words  for  that  stricken  woman  to  hear! 

No  wonder  she  turned  white  to  the  lips  and  staggered  baeE, 
grasping  a  tree  to  keep  herself  from  falling. 

No  wonder  that,  possessed  by  the  demon  of  jealousy,  and 
the  fire  of  unrequited  love,  she  was  compelled  to  press  her 
hand  to  her  lips  till  the  teeth  closed  on  them  -to  prevent  the' 
cry  of  despair  and  anguish  that  rose  from  her  heart.  \ 

"  Oh,- 1  am  glad  I"  said  Floris,  with  a  little  sigh.     "  I  could  | 
not  have  shared  your  love.     I  could  not  have  borne  to  think 
that  I  had  only  got  it  second-hand.     You  see,"  with  a  little, 
piteous  smile  that  was  very  near  tears,  "  I  am  so  proud !" 

He  bent  till  his  lips  touched  her  beautiful  hair. 

"  By  Heavens,  I  think  I  love  you  all  the  more  for  being  so !" 
he  answered.  "I  would <not  have  you  altered  by  a 


90  MY    LADY    .PKIDK. 

breadth,  my  darling.  I  think  you  perfect,  bodily  and  men- 
ially. Why,  1  dream  even — don't  laugh — of  your  very  dresses. 
To-night  you  look  like  a  vision  of  cold,  pare  ice,  you  see. 
Proud!  So  you  shall  be.*  Be  as  proud  as  you  like,  so  that 
you  are  not  too  proud  to  let  me  love  you.  And,  I,  too ;  I  am 
proud.  But  1  am  a  bad  lot  altogether,  my  poor  darling. 
Heaven  grant  I  may  be  able  to  conceal  it  from  you." 

She  smiled  trustingly  enough. 

"  I  will  take  you  as  you  are,  Bruce,"  she  murmured. 

"  I  am  proud,  too,  little  one,"  he  said,  very  thoughtfully, 
"  and  a  monster  of  jealousy." 

She  laughed  softly.. 

"Are  you?  How  much  alike  we  are!  My  pride  is  only 
outdone  by  my  jealousy.  I  warn  you,  Bruce,  I  shall  grudge 
every  smile  you  bestow  on  other  women.  I  shall  want  all 
your  soft  speeches." 

He  laughed  grimly. 

"  I  was  never  wont  to  smile  much,  or  very  rich  in  soft 
speeches,  my  darling;  but  what  I  have  in  stock  shall  be  re- 
served for  you.  Ah,  you  know  well  how  wholly  and  entirely 
I  am  yours,  bound  body  and  soul  to  your  chariot  wheel,  so 
much  your  slave  that  there  is  not  another  woman  in  the  world 
that  is  worth  a  thought  to  me !" 

She  put  up  her  hand  with  a  little,  naive  caress,  and  laid  it 
against  his  cheek. 

"Ah,  how  happy  T  am !"  she  murmured,  so  low,  and  yet  so 
distinct  that  it  reached  the  hidden  woman  opposite  them,  and 
went  to  her  heart  like  the  stab  of  a  knife. 

Then  Moris  started. 

"  We  must  go.     Why,  how  late  it  must  be !" 

He  laughed. 

"  Tt  is  not  late.     What  does  it  matter  ?     Who  cares  ?" 

"Oh,  but  I  must,  sir!  Lady  Pendleton,  my  mistress,  has 
forgotten  me,  and  I  must  find  her." 

He  laughed  with  grim  delight. 

"  Lady  Betty,  your  mistress.  Ha,  ha !  How  surprised  she 
tfiH  be,  and  yet,  I  don't  know !  T  have  caught  her  looking  at 
me-  once  or  twice  with  that  cock-sparrow  expression  in  her 
eye?  which  makes  her  look  so  knowing.  She  will  be  delighted. 
Must  we  go?  Let  me  put  your  cloak  around  you.  Happv 
Honk!  What  a  pretty  one!  What  made  you  think  of  that 
dress,  and  its  edging  of  swan's-down?  My  beautiful  anjrel !" 
aixd  he  took  her  bodily  and  boldly  in  his  arms. 


MY    LADY    PRIDE.  91 

"Oh,  take  care!"  she  murmured,  blushing,  and  lookimg 
around  fearfully.  "  Some  one  will  see  us." 

"  Who  cares?  And  to  think  that  only  tins  morning  you 
snubbed  me.  Actually  refused  to  sell  me  tht  flower  from 
your  bosom." 

She  blushed. 

'''  Do  you  care  to  have  it  now?"  she  asked,  quietly. 

"  Care?     Give  me  a  chance  of  getting  it,"  he  retorted. 

She  took  the  crushed  and  withered  red  rose  from  within  h«r 
dress  and  held  it  out  to  him. 

Then  as,  with  a  cry  of  delight,  he  eagerly  stretched  out  hi3 
Iiand,  she  whipped  her's  behind  her. 

"  Give  me  something  in  exchange,  Mr.  Bruce." 

He  laughed,  his  short,  curt  laugh. 

"  Take  all  I  have,"  he  said,  then  he  glanced  down  and 
about  him.  He  wore  no  rings,  no  trinket  he  could  despoil 
himself  of. 

"  Give  me  that  flower  in  your  coat,"  said  Floris. 

"Ah,  yes,"  he  assented,  entirely  forgetful  of  the  woman 
who  only  that  morning  made  him  promise  to  wear  it,  who 
pinned  it  in  his  coat  with  loving  hands.  "  Here  you  are. 
Give  me  my  rose,"  and  he  took  it  from  her,  and  with  all  a 
boy's  love  and  a  man's  passion,  kissed  it  before  he  hid  it  iD 
an  inner  pocket. 

And  so  they  passed  out,  arm  in  arm,  heart  to  heart. 

For  a  moment  Lady  Blanche  stood  leaning  against  the 
palm,  her  face  white  as  death,  her  hands  clinched  at  her  side. 

Death !  She  had  died  a  thousand  deaths  in  that  last  ten 
minutes. 

Hope,  joy,  the  future,  all  were  dead,  and  from  their  ashss 
had  sprung  the  demons  of  hate  and  jealousy. 

Without  a  cry  she  sunk  onto  a  seat,  and  sat  staring  in 
front  of  her  with  clasped  hands. 

And  she  had  lost  him.  Lost  the  man  she  loved  more  than 
life.  And* she  had  so  nearly  won  him:  a  week,  a  few  days 
2go,  he  was  almost  hers. 

The  world  had  linked  tbeir  names  together.  It  wanted  but 
the  word  to  make  him  hers  irrevocably. 

And  now  she  had  lost  him.  And  why?  Because  of  this 
chit  of  a  country  girl,  this  girl  with  the  round  face  and  the 
gray  eyes,  this  servant  of  Lady  Betty's. 

"Oh,  Heaven,  it  was  hard  to  bear!     Hard,,  hard,  hard! 


9£  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

And  he  had  told  this  girl  that  he  had  never  loved,  never  eould 
love  Blanche." 

Ah,  it  was  hard  to  bear,  too  hard !     She  could  not. 

"  I  will  not/'  she  murmured,  huskily ;  "  I  will  not.  There 
must  be  some  way  of  stopping  him,  of  balking  her.  She  has 
caught  him  with  her  dolrs  face,  with  her  pretended  modesty 
and  shyness.  He  must  be  saved !  He  shall  not  marry  her ;  1 
mean  it!  But  how  can  I  prevent  it?  How — how?  Oh,  if 
there  was  some  one  to  help  me,  some  one  I  could  depend' 
on!" 

She  looked  around  wildly.  "  I  am  only  a  woman,  £ 
wronged,  insulted,  helpless  woman.  If  there  were  only  some 
one  who  could  help  me !  " 

As  if  in  answer  to  her  prayer,  a  voice  from  behind  her  said, 
in  a  quiet,  almost  sarcastic  tone :  , 

"  I  will  help  you !  " 

Lady  Blanche  started,  and  turning  her  white  face  over  her 
shoulder,  she  saw  a  man  standing  half-hidden  behind  the 
ferns. 

"  I  will  help  you." 

Lady  Blanche  started  quickly,  as  if  the  words  had  sprung 
from  the  lips  of  the  familiar  demon,  the  demon  .jealousy,  that 
at  that  moment  was  reigning  paramount  in  her  bosom. 

She  started  even  more  violently  as  she  looked  at  the  man 
who  had  spoken,  for  it  seemed  as  if  the  shadow  of  Lord  Nor= 
man  had  sprung  up  beside  her. 

She  even  murmured  his  name. 

"  Bruce  1 " 

The  man  smiled  sardonically,  and  shook  his  head. 

"  No,  my  lady,  I  am  not  Lord  Norman,"  he  said,  calmly, 
with  an  ease  that  was  almost  insolent. 

Lady  Blanche  looked  again  at  him.  The  likeness  to  Lord 
Norman  was  extraordinary;  had  this  man  been  dressed  in  an 
evening  suit,  he  might  have  walked  into  the  ball-room  and 
been  mistaken  by  all  but  the  closest  observer  for  the  earl. 

"  Did  you  speak  to  me  ?  "  she  demanded,  in  the  cold,  hard 
vpice  which  had  struck  a  chill  to  many  an  inferior. 

"  I  did,  my  lady ;  I  heard  your  appeal  for  help,  and — I  an- 
swered it." 

"Who  are  you?" 

"  I  am  a  stranger  to  your  ladyship,  and  my  name  would 
not  enlighten  you  as  to  my  identity.  Just  now,  you  called  me 
by  Lord  Norman's  mm&  Let  me  bf  foawn,  for  the 


MY  LADY  PRIDE.  93 

££  an  individual  who  happens  to  bear  a  strong  resemblance  to 
his  lordship.  Your  ladyship  will  be  surprised  to  hear  that  I 
have  been  seeking  for  an  opportunity  to  speak  to  you  for  some 
days  past." 

Lady  Blanche  was  surprised,,  and  for  the  life  of  her  she 
could  not  keep  her  astonishment  from  showing  itself  in  her 
face. 

"  I  have  watched,  followed  you  night  and  day  for  days  past, 
ever  since  I  first  saw  you  leaving  the  Duchess  of  Cliefenden's 
party  a  week  ago.  I,  too,  have  been  an  eye-witness  of  the 
love-passage  between  Lord  Norman  and  Miss  Carlisle,  and  I 
am  as  desirous  of  spoiling  his  lordship's  felicity  as  you  can 
be." 

"  Why  ?  "  demanded  Lady  Blanche,  her  breath  coming  fast. 
The  quiet,  self-assured  manner,  the  easy,  self-reliant  voice 
were  felling  upon  her,  impressing  her  strongly  and  strangely. 

He  smiled. 

"  To  answer  that  question  would  be  to  go  into  too  long  a 
story  for  the  place  and  time,  my  lady,"  he  said,  "  Let  it  go, 
if  you  please,  that  I  am  willing  to  balk  Lord  Norman's  hap- 
piness for  reasons  of  my  own.  Listen  to  me,  Lady  Blanche. 
This  young  girl  comes  between  you  and  the  man  you  love.  I 
offer  to  separate  them — to  remove  the  obstacle!  Will  you 
accept  my  offer  ?  " 

"You  can  not  do  it,"  she  said  in  a  low,  quivering  voice. 
"  You  do  not  know  him." 

"  Do  I  not  ?    I  know  him  well  enough  to  count  upon  him 
for  his  assistance,"  he  said.    "  Yes  or  no,  my  lady.    Put  aside 
the    reluctance   you   feel   to   accepting  help   of   a   stranger, 
v  who  appears  in  this  unexpected — romantic,  if  you  will — fash- 
\  ion,  and  avail  yourself  of  my  services." 
j:      Lady  Blanche  was  silent  for  a  moment. 

The  music  had  ceased,  the  sound  of  laughter  and  many 
•light-hearted  voices  came  confusedly  through  the  silence.  She 
fancied  she  could  hear  Lord  Brace's  deep  voice,  as  he  bent 
over  Moris ;  fancied  she  could  see  her  eyes  alight  with  the  new 
passion  of  love.  Her  heart  beat  wildly,  her  brain  whirled  ; 
she  put  up  her  hand  to  her  white  brow,  with  a  gesture  of  des- 
perate resolve,  and  turned  upon  the  man  almost  fiercely: 

"  Do  what  you  promise,  and  claim  what  reward  you  will !  " 
she  breathed. 

He  let  his  arms  fall  to  his  side,  as  if  h^  had  anticipated  the 


14  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

result,  and  his  manner  changed   induntly  from  trie  cool  ini- 
'  paftsibiliry  it  had  hitherto  displayed  to  an  acute  alertness. 

"  Your  ladyship  has  decided  wisely.  As  to  reward  yes,  I 
shall  claim  it  when  the  time  comes/' 

Lady  Blanche  made  her  way  back  to  the  ball-room,  and 
found  her  father  yawning  himself  awake  in  one  of  the  ante- 
rooms.   When  she  declared  that  she  was  ready  to  go,  the  poor ' 
old  earl  quite  brightened  up  with  gratitude. 

"  Eeally !  and  the  ball  half  over!  'Pon  my  word,  you  are 
growing  sensible,  Blanche.  Lor" !  how  I  hate  these  affairs  !  If 
I  had  known  what  I  should  have  to  go  through  taking  charge 
of  you,  Blanche,  I  should  have  married  a^ain  ;  I  should,  in- 
deed !  " 

"  Perhaps  it  would  have  been  better  if  you  had,"  she  mur- 
mured, sadly,  as  she  sunk  back  into  a  corner  of  the  carriage. 
Perhaps  if  her  mother  had  lived,  or  some  woman  had  taken 
her  dead  mother's  place,  she,  Blanche,  would  not  have  fallen 
into  the  trap  set  for  her  by  this  stranger. 

"Where  is  Bruce  all  the  evening?"  asked  Lord  Seymour, 
with  an  awful  gape.  "He  hasn't  been  near  me,  and  he 
usually  comes  and  has  a  chat." 

"I  do  not  know.  Do  not  speak  to  me  of  Bruce !  "  she  said, 
bitterly. 

The  old  man  laughed. 

''  You  and  Bruce  have  quarreled  again.  Xever  mind,  }rou 
will  make  it  up  to-morrow,  as  usual." 

A  bitter  smile  crossed  her  white  face. 

"Yes,"  she  said,  almost  to  herself;  "we  shall  make  it  up 
again." 


CHAPTER  XT. 

GLAD     TIDINGS. 

How  time  fled !  Whether  the  band  played  square  dances 
or  round,  whether  she  was  on  her  head  or  heels  for  the 
remainder  of  that  wonderful  night,  Floris  did  not  know. 

She  only  knew  that  Bruce,  her  sweetheart — how  pretty  a 
word  it  is,  though  fashion  has  decreed  it  out  of  date — was  con- 
tinually at  her  side,  whispering  passionate  love  in  her  ears, 
pressing  her  hand,  even  venturing  to  kiss  her  hair  when  he 
could  de  so  unobserved. 


MY  LJLBY  PRfBE.  9$ 

He  would  have  danced  all  the  remaining  dances  with  her,  if 
she  would  have  allowed  him,  setting  at  defiance  the  fury  of 
her  engaged  parteners;  but  Floris  insisted  upon  his  going  off 
and  doing  his  duty  elsewhere,  and  it  was  half  with  amusement, 
half  delight,  that  she  watched  him  going  through  the  business 
of  a  waltz  with  some  other  young  lady,  with  his  eyes  straying, 
wistfully,  hungrily  toward  herself. 

At  last  Lady  Betty  grew  tired,  not,  however,  before  the  ball 
iwas  nearly  over,  and  at  the  end  of  a  waltz — during  whieh 
Moris  had  been  responding  with  "  Yeses  "  and  "  noes  "  to  her 
i  partner's  observations,  without  knowing  in  the  least  what  he 
was  talking  about — she  found  herself,  touched  upon  the  arm 
by  Lady  Betty's  fan,  all  the  worse  for  wear  by  this  time. 

"  I  think  well  go  now,  my  dear,"  she  said,  then  she  looked 
at  Floris's  face,  radiant — say  rather,  softly  glowing— with 
happiness,  with  a  stare  of  astonishment.  "  By  the  way,  how 
many  times  have  you  danced  with  Lord  Nortnan  ?  " 

A  crimson  flush  flooded  Floris's  face  and  she  bent  down  to 
arrange  her  cloak. 

"  Oh,  not  many,  Lady  Pendleton,"  she  replied. 

"  Oh,  not  many ! "  echoed  Lady  Betty,  with  a  laujk. 
"Why,  I  have  seen  you  dancing  with  him  four  times!  Wo 
wonder  Blanche  went  so  early." 

A  spasm  of  pain  ran  through  Floris's  heart,  but  she  fought 
against  it.  What  did  it  matter,  this  coupling  of  his  name 
with  Lady  Blanche's,  while  she,  Floris,  was  his  chosen  love, 
his  future  wife  ?  All  the  same,  Lady  Betty's  bantering  speech 
hurt  her. 

At  the  moment,  however,  she  heard  a  voice  at  her  elbow 
that  dispelled  all  pain. 

"  Here  you  are !  "  he  said.  "  Going?  So  am  I.  Come  on, 
Betty.  Miss  Carlisle,  let  me  put  that  cloak  closer  around 
your  neck,"  and  his  fingers  strayed  to  her  ear,  and  he  pressed 
it  caressingly. 

"Look  here,  Betty,  I'm  fearfully  hungry,"  he  said,  as 
they  reached  the  hall,  and  footmen  were  calling  for  Lady 
[Pendleton's  carriage.  "  Too  hungry  for  grilled  bones,  which 
is  all  I  should  got  at  ihe  club.  Let  me  conic  home  with 

(you?" 

"  Will  you?"  exclaimed   Lady  Betty,  delightedly.     "But 
I'm  afraid  there  won't  be  much  to  eat,  Bruce." 
"  I  don't  care!     I'll  take  my  chance,     I  am  huagry  enough 


96  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

to  eat  anything — Miss  Carlisle  even !    and  he  pressed  Floris's 
arm. 

"  That  would  be  carrying  your  attentions  a  little  too  far, 
Bruce/'  said  Lady  Betty,  mischievously,  "  Can  you  squeeze 
yourself  in  the  brougham,  do  you  think  ?  " 

"  If  I  could  unscrew  my  legs,"  he  said,  laughing.  "  I'll 
get  up  beside  John,"  and  he  put  them  in  and  climbed  oU 
the  box. 

The  supper  was  laid  in  a  very  few  minutes  in  the  breakfast- 
room,  that  being,  as  Lady  Betty  remarked,  the  coziest  room 
in  the  house,  and  Lord  Norman,  with  a  lady  on  each  arm,  led 
them  in. 

"  Edward  has  gone  to  bed !  "  cried  Lady  Betty.  "  His 
speech  was  a  great  success." 

"Here's  the  premiership  to  him !  "  exclaimed  Lord  Norman, 
raising  his  champagne  glass,  his  eyes  alight  with  happi- 
ness as  they  rested  on  Floris's  downcast  face.  "  I  wish 
everybody  joy  and  success  to-night,"  he  added.  "  Betty,  this 
is  an  admirable  fowl;  let  me  give  you  a  wing:  Flo — Miss 
Carlisle,"  with  mock  ceremony,  "can  I  assist  you  to  some  more 
galantine  ?  Betty,  I  think  I  shall  stipulate  for  the  future  that 
you  give  us  supper  in  this  cozy  little  room  after  every  outing." 

"  I  shall  be  delighted,  Bruce,  if  you  will  undertake  to  be 
always  in  this  humor.  What  is  the  matter  with  you  to-night  ? 
You  are  like  a  boy  You  remind  me  of  Bertie.  By  the  way, 
where  did  he  vanish  to?  Bruce,  do  you  think  you  really  ought 
to  have  any  more  champagne  ?  "  with  mock  gravity. 

"  I  don't  know.  I  am  not  sure  that  I  ought,"  he  retorted. 
"  Champagne  to  a  man  in  my  frame  of  mind,  Betty,  is  like 
oil  on  fire." 

"What  is  the  matter  with  you?"  demanded  Lady  Betty, 
staring  at  his  handsome  face,  more  joyous  than  she  had  seen 
it  since  he  was  a  boy  home  for  the  holidays. 

"  Shall  I  tell  you? "  he  said.  "  Shall  I  tell  her,  Miss  Car- 
lisle?"  and  he  leaned  across  and  smiled  into  Floris's  eyes,, 
which  dropped  instantly. 

"Why  do  you  ask  her?"  demanded  Lady  Betty.  "  Ho\7 
can  it  possibly  concern  her  ?  " 

Tie  leaned  back  in  his  chair  and  laughed,  not  loudly,  but 
with  pure,  unrestrained,  mirthful  happiness. 

"  No,  of  course  riot !  How  can  I  concern  her ;  eh,  Miss 
Carlisle?" 

"  I  think  I  will  go  now,"  said  Floris,  rising. 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  97 

He  rose,  too,  and  stood  beside  her,  detaining  her  with  a 
light  yet  firm  grasp. 

"  Not  yet,  Floris." 

"  Floris !  "  exclaimed  Lady  Betty,  startled. 

"  Yes,  Floris !  "  he  said ;  "  no  longer  Miss  Carlisle  to  me. 
Betty,  Floris  has  promised  to  be  my  wife ;  that  is  what  makes 
me  in  such  good  spirits  to-night.  My  wife,  do  you  hear  ?  " 

Lady  Betty  gasped  and  stared. 

"  Not  a  word  of  congratulation  ?  "  went  on  Lord  Bruce,  en- 
joying her  amazement.  "  Can  not  you  find  a  word,  my  dear 
Betty  ?  Or,  perhaps,  you  disapprove,  I  •  forgot  that  Miss 
Carlisle  is  under  your  charge.  I  ought  to  have  asked  your 
permission  and  your  blessing.  Pardon  me.  It  is  not  too  late. 
Floris,  shall  we  kneel  to  her  in  orthodox  fashion  ?  "  and  he  put 
his  arm  around  her  waist  and  drew  her  to  him. 

Lady  Betty  rose,  pushing  back  her  chair,  and  found  her 
voice  at  last. 

"  Bruce,  is  this  true  ?  "  she  exclaimed,  delightedly. 

"  Does  it  look  like  acting  ?  "  he  demanded.  "  Floris,  she 
can  not  believe  it.  She  can  not  understand  what  I  have  done 
to  deserve  so  much  happiness/' 

"  Really  true !  "  repeated  Lady  Betty.  "  Oh,  I  am  so  glad ! 
Oh,  my  dear,  my  dear !  "  and  she  drew  Floris  away  from  him 
and  kissed  her.  "  I  don't  know  what  I  can  say,  I  am  so 
pleased !  Oh !  " — with  a  sudden  alarm — "  of  course,  you  will 
want  to  leave  me  now,  dear !  " 

Floris  looked  at  her  affectionately. 

"  Why  should  I  ?  Perhaps  you  will  want  to  send  m&  away, 
though ! " 

Lady  Betty  kissed  her  again  for  an  answer. 

"  I  wish  I  could  keep  you  always  with  me." 

"  Thank  you,  Betty.  Thank  you,"  exclaimed  Lord  Nor- 
man. 

"  Don't  be  foolish ;  I  mean  till  you  take  her,  sir !  And  " — - 
with  a  sudden  brightening —  "why  shouldn't  i?  Why 
shouldn't  she  stay  with  me?  As — as  my  friend,  I  mean,  dear. 
Of  course,  there  must  be  no  more  of  this  '  companion '  non- 
sense," and  she  flushed.  "  Fancy  having  the  future  Countess 
of  Norman  for  a  companion !  " 

"If  I  stay — if  you  will  let  me  stay,"  said  Flotis,  gently, 
"  it  shall  be  just  as  I  am." 

"Well,  well;  we'll  argue  it  out  when  we  are  a,  one,"  said 
Lady  Betty. 


98  MY  LADY  PRIDE. 

"  That's  a  tolerably  broad  hint  for  me  to  take  my  depart- 
ure/' said  Lord  Norman.  "  May  I  just  have  a  cigarette  be- 
fore I  £' 

"Yes/'  said  Lady  Betty,  "and  Flom  shall  tell  Edward 
when  he  complains  of  the  smell  who  caused  it.  There,  I  am 
going  now ;  good-night/'  and  she  left  the  two  alone. 

"  I  will  not  keep  you  to-night,  my  darling!  "  he  murmured, j 
holding  her  in  his  arms.     "  How  happy  you  shall  be  if  mortal' 
man  can  make  mortal  woman  happy !     Good-night,  Floris. 
Good-night,  my  future  wife !    Will  you  give  me  one  kiss  before 
I  go?" 

She  hesitated  a  moment.  Then,  for  the  first  time  in 
her  young  life,  she  raised  her  lips  and  laid  them  on  a  man'e. 

Next  morning  Lord  Norman  called  his  man,  and  with  his 
assistance  got  into  his  morning  coat  and  hat,  and  walked 
down  Eton  square.  It  was  nearly  twelve  o'clock,  and  he 
expected — perhaps  he  hoped — to  be  informed  by  the  footman 
that  Lady  Blanche  was  not  up  yet. 

But  the  man  showed  him  into  the  drawing-room,  and  there 
Lord  Norman  waited,  staring  out  of  the  window,  at  one  mo- 
ment thinking  of  Floris — of  dear,  sweet  Floris! — and  the  next 
of  the  stately,  beautiful  creature  to  whom  he  was  going  to 
announce  his  passion  for  another  woman. 

The  door  opened  and  Lady  Blanche  entered. 

"So  early!  How  good  of  you,  Bruce!"  she  murmured. 
"Have  you  come  to  breakfast?  I  have  not  had  mine  yet. 
Come  with  me,"  and  she  drew  him  gently  toward  her. 

"No,  no/'  he  said,  almost  harshly  in  his  embarrassment. 
"  I  have  had  my  breakfast,  Blanche.  I  am  very  sorry  I  am 
so  early." 

"It 'doesn't  matter.  You  know  I  am  glad  to  see  youy 
however  early  or  late  you  may  be.  And  the  ball — what  did 
you  think  of  it  ?  "  she  said,  in  her  soft,  clear  voice. 

"  Oh,  very  good,  I  suppose,"  he  said,  looking  at  the  car- 
pet. "But  I  mustn't  keep  you  from  your  breakfast.  I'm 
glad  to  find  you  none  the  worse  for  yesterday's  work, 
•Blanche." 

It  was  cowardly  to  shirk  his  duty  thus,  he  felt  and  told 
himself;  but  was  this  the  time  to  tell  her,  before  she  had  even 
had  her  breakfast? 

"And  is  that  all  you  have  come  for,  Bruce?"  she  askad. 
"I  thought  you  feai  come  t*  tell  me  semetking  hnportaat, 


MY   LADY   PRIDE,  99 

"  Blanche,  you  are  right/'  he  said.  "  I  have  com*  to  tell 
you  something".  You— you  and  T  have  always  been  such 
close  friends  that  1  feel  it  almost  a  duty  to  acquaint  you  at 
once  with  anything  that— that  materially  affects  me.  Hang 
it  all,  Blanche!  I  hate  beating  about  the  bush!  Last 
night  I—" 

A  footman  knocked  at  the  door,  and  brought  in  a  letter  on 
a  salver. 

Lady.  Blanche  took  it  and  opened  the  envelope  There 
was  only  a  slip  of  paper  inside,  and  on  the  slip  of  paper  was 
wr i tten  these  \v or d s : 

"  I  am  here.  1  f  you  are  still  willing  to  accept  my  aid, 
you  will  do  well  to  'see  me;  if  not,  send  word  that  I  may 
go." 

She  crumpled  the  paper  up  in  her  small  hand,  and  said  to 
the  footman,  "  Wait  outside." 

"Well,  Bruce/'  she  said,  turning  her  face  to  him  with  a 
smile. 

"  Blanche,  T  have  come  to  tell  you  that  T  haVe  asked  Miss 
Carlisle  to  be  my  wife." 

She  did  not  change  color,  as  he  had  expected  her  at  least 
to  do;  her  eyes  did  not  even  shrink  beneath  his. 

"Miss  Carlisle?"  she  murmured — "Miss  Carlisle?  Ah, 
yes !  I  had  forgotten — Lady  Betty's  companion." 

"Yes,  Lady  Betty's  companion,"  he  said.  "But,  though 
Lady  Betty's  companion,  a  lady  by  birth  and  breeding.  But 
that  is  nothing  to  do  with  it.  What  do  you  say,  Blanche?" 

"  I  am  very  glad,  Bruce — very  glad.  Stop !  may  I  send  my 
message  ?  " 

"Yes,  in  Heaven's  name,"  he  said,  impatiently. 

She  had  taken  the  news  as  coolly  and  calmly  as  if  he  had 
announced  that  he  had  engaged  a  new  valet. 

She  went  to  the  door;  the  footman  was  standing  in  read- 
iness. 

"Ask  the  gentleman  to  wait,  please,"  she  said. 

Then  she  came  hack,  and  laid  her  hand  on  Lord  Norman's 
arm. 

"Now,  Bruce,  I  am  prepared!"  she  said,  and  her  eyes 
shone  and  glistened  up  at  him  in  a  way  which  ho  remembered 
years  afterward,  and  remembered  all  too  bitterly. 


100  MY  LADY  PRIDE. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

FOR  FORTUNE  AND  REVENGE. 

"AsK  the  'gentleman  to  wait !  "  said  Lady  Blanche ;  then 
,she  came  back  and  stood  beside  Lord  Norman,  looking  up 
at  him  with  a  smile  in  her  eyes,  though  her  face  was  white 
.and  strained  with  the  effort  to  appear  calm  and  unmoved. 
'"  So  you  are  engaged  to  Miss  Carlisle,  Bruce  ?  "  she  repeated. 

"les,  Blanche,  he  said.  "You  will  give  me  your  con- 
gratulation ?  " 

"  Yes,  Bruce,  with  all  my  heart,"  she  murmured.  "  I  wish 
you  every  happiness,  and  her,  too !  "  and  she  smile*?  again, 
while  her  hand  closed  over  Oscar  Raymond's  note  tightly, 
fiercely. 

The  marriage  will  take  place  soon,  I  suppose,  Bruce  f  ':  she 
said,  quite  calmly,  almost  sweetly. 

He  nodded. 

"As  soon  as  possible.  '  It  is  early  to  think  of  it  yet.  WQ 
— we  were  only  engaged  last  night." 

"Really!  Why,  last  night,  at  the  ball,  they  were  saying 
-that  Miss  Carlisle  would  be  Yieountess  Clifforde,  and  all  the 
while  she  had  made  up  her  mind  to  'be  Countess  Norman  !  * 

His  brow  gathered  in  a  frown  for  a  moment,  then  he 
laughed. 

"  Oh,  Bertie  flirts  with  any  one,  you  know,  and  I  dare  say 
he  made  all  the  running  he  could  with  Floris." 

"  Poor  Bertie !  Let  us  hope  it  was  no  more  than  mere 
flirtation  for  him.  Good-by,  Bruce !  "  and  she  let  her  fingers 
slide  coldly,  icily,  from  his  hand. 

He  got  his  hat  and  went  down-stairs,  conscious  of  a  vagua 
feeling  of  surprise  and  confusion.  At  the  end  of  the  hall  he 
teaw  an  old  gentleman,  with  white  hair  and  spectacles,  and 
wearing  a  cloak  that  gave  him  the  look  of  a  musician  or  lit- 
erary man  rather  out  at  elbows,  standing  regarding  the 
weather  glass.  The  old  gentleman  turned,  and  regarded 
Lord  Norman  with  a  bland,  amiable  smile,  and  Bruce,  touch-. 
ing  his  hat,  in  courteous  response,  passed  out. 

"  This  way,"  said  the  footman,  rather  curtly,  and  the 
elderly  man  slowly  followed  him  up  the  stairs,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  drawing-room. 

Lady  Blanche  was  standing  by  the  window,  looking  down 


MY   LADY   PRIES.  101 

at  the  street,  and  did  not  turn  her  head  until  the  footman 
had  closed  the  door,  and  when  she  did  so  she  started  with  a 
gesture  of  astonishment. 

Oscar  Eaymond  took  off  his;  ^ppct^eles,  arid  inclined  hi;s 
head,  with  a  smile  that  was  half  amused,  'half  sa/custic. 

"  I  read  the  success  of  my  disguise  in  your  ladyship's  face/p 
he  said,  quietly. 

"Is  there  any  need  of  this  masquerade,  sir?*'  she  said,  al- 
most contemptuously. 

"  Judge  for  yourself,"  he  retorted.  "  I  have  just  met  Lore" 
Norman  in  your  hall.  He  and  I  were  once  friends,  and  arc 
now  bitter  foes.  If  he  had  recognized  me  he  would  have  re- 
turned to  warn  you  against  me,  and  our  plot  would  have  been 
rendered  abortive." 

"  Our  plot !  "  she  said,  coldly.  %"  I  have  not  consented  yet 
to  join  you  in  any  plot,  sir." 

He  raised  his  eyebrows,  and  pointed  to  the  note,  which  she 
still  held  tight  in  her  hand. 

"  Then  why  did  you  answer  my  note,  Lady  Blanche  ?  "  he 
said,  significantly. 

Lady  Blanche  was  silent  for  a  moment,  then  she  said  in  a 
low  voice: 

"  Last  night  you  said  that  you  intended  to — that  you  were 
able  to  separate  Lord  Norman,  and  Miss  Carlisle." 

"  1  did.     That  is  still  my  intention,"  he  said. 

"  What  is  your  plan  ?  "  she  condescended  to  ask. 

"At  present  it  is  not  complete,"  he  answered.  "  It  is  an 
unwise  general  who  discloses  an  immature  plan  of  his  cam- 
paign." 

"  Hovv,  then,  am  I  to  help  you  ?  " 

"  In  two  ways:  for  the  present  you  must  keep  me  apprised 
of  all  that  happens  to  Lord  Bruce,  and  you  must  afford  me 
the  opportunity  of  striking  the  blow  when  the  occasion  offers. 
1  shall  need  another  accomplice,  Lady  Blanche." 

"Another?" 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  coolly,  "  and  I  think  I  have  found  her. 
Lady  Pendleton  has  a  maid,  a  Frenchwoman,  a  dark  girl  with! 
black  hair— 

:<  Yes,  I  have  seen  her." 

"  Her  name  is  Josine.  She  is  vain,  and — well,  like  her  race 
generally — passionate  and  impulsive,  and  she  detests  Miss 
Carlisle.  Josine,  with  whom  I  mean  to  be  very  great  friends, 
ivill  keep  me  acquainted  with  Miss  Carlisle's  movements,  and 


MY    LADY    PRIDE. 

will  assist  me  to  strike  my  blow  as  the  hour  presents  itself. 
My  plan  is  more  than  half  formed  already,  and  when  it  is 
complete,  your  ladyship  shall  hear  it,  and  judge  for  yourself 
whether  it  is  not  sufficient  for  our—  I  beg  your  pardon — my 
purpose. 

"  I  am  compelled  to  trust  you,  Mr.  Raymond,"  she  said,  in 
a  low  voice.  .' 

"  You- will  not  find  your  confidence  abused,  Lady  Blanche," 
he  said.  "  One  thing  more.  Will  you  please  regard  me  as 
Signer  Paulo,  your  Italian  master — or,  stay — music  would  be 
better,  and  more  convenient.  Would  it  not  be  as  well  if  your 
lad}- ship  took  your  finishing  lessons  from  an  experienced 
master  ?  " 

Ai  he  spoke  he  went  to  the  grand  piario,  inclined  his 
bead  by  way  of  asking  permission,  and  seating  himself,  began 
to  play. 

Lady  Blanche  stood  watching  him  with  a  fascinated  in- 
terest and  curiosity.  He  played  with  all  the  case  and  polish 
of  a  skilled  musician,  his  long,  thin  fingers  running  over  the 
keys  with  the  rapidity  of  lightning  one  moment,  and  then 
gliding,  with  a  soft  touch,  into  a  sweet  serenade. 

"  Where  did  you  learn  to  play  like  that?  "  she  asked. 

"  Oh,  I  have  picked  nip  most  accomplishments,  Lady 
Blanche,  and  yet  you  see  with  them  all  I  am  but  a  needy  ad- 
venturer." 

"  I  will  accept  you  as  my  music  teacher,  Signor  Paulo/* 
she  said,  quietly.  "  It  is  usual,  I  think,  always  to  pay  the 
fee  in  advance?  " 

"  As  your  ladyship  pleases.     Yes,  it  is  usual." 

"  Wait,"  she  said,  and  glided  silently  from  the  room. 

Oscar  Raymond  gracefully  opened  the  door,  and  bowed  her 
out,  then  he  closed  it,  and  walked  up  to  the  mirror,  laughing 
silently. 

"  My  dear  fellow,"  he  murmured  to  the  reflection,  "  you 
are  in  luck  at  last!  Yes,  the  tide  has  turned;  the  corner  of 
'the  dark  lane  where  yoii  have  been  tramping  so  long  is 
I  rounded  at  last.  Revenge  and  a  fortune  at  one  stroke!  It 
is  not  rvrry  rnnn  who  could  achieve  so  much;  but  then  it  fS 
not  every  man  who  has  your  undoubted  talents.  My  Lord 
Norman,  you  called  me  a  cheat  and  kicked  me  like  a  whipped 
hound  from  your  presence,  and  I  threatened  to  cry  quits  with 
you !  We  shall  see  if  I  am  not  as  good  as  my  word !  Signor 


3&Y   LADY   PRIDE.  103 

Paulo,  I  salute  you !  "  and  he  bowed  with  mock  gravity  to  the 
mirror. 

The  door  opened  and*  _  Lady  Blanche  entered.  As  he 
turned,  she  laid  a  bank-note  on  the  table  and  pointed  to  it. 

"  Take  it,"  she  said,  in  a  low  voice.  "  When  you  need 
more — ; 

"  I  shall  not  hesitate  to.  ask  for  it,  my  lady.  Our  interest* 
are  mutual.  No  war — even  such  a  little  comedy  of  an  affair 
as  this — can  be  carried  on  without  money." 

tie  took  up  the  note.     It  was  one  for  fifty  pounds,  and  his 

is  glistened. 

"  Josine  must  have  a  large  slice  of  this,"  he  said,  musingly. 

"  Good-day,  Lady  Blanche.  You  will  find  that  your  con- 
fidence in  me  has  not  been  misplaced." 

That  evening  Josine,  having  received  permission  to  visit 
"  an  aged  grandmother  who  was  sick/'  went  to  spend  an  hour 
or  two  with  her  friend,  the  landlady  of  the  "  Three  Pigeons." 
She  passed  through  the  public  or  coffee-room  with  her  usual 
noiseless,  quick  step,  very  much  like  the  tread  of  a  self-pos- 
sessed cat,  and  entered  the  little  parlor  at  the  further  end. 

As  she  did  so  she  shot  a  glance  toward  the  compartment 
nearest  the  parlor,  and  a  faint  smile  of  satisfaction  gleamed 
in  her  black  eyes  as  she  saw  an  old,  white-haired  gentleman, 
with  spectacles,  seated  at  a  table,  diligently  perusing  a  Pa- 
risian newspaper. 

He  looked  up  as  she  passed,  and  raised  his  hat,  sweeping  it 
earthward  in  the  French  fashion ;  and  Josine  just  inclined  her 
head;  but,  to  make  up  for  this  curt  acknowledgment  of  his 
courteous  salute,  she  made  a  sharp,  swift  gesture  with  het 
long,  thin,  supple  hand. 

His  quick  eyes  caught  it,  and  he  nodded  as  he  resumed  his 
paper ;  but  after  a  few  minutes  he  laid  it  down,  and  with  a 
slow  and  listless  manner  he  entered  the  little  parlor  in  which 
sat  Josine  and  the  landlady,  the  latter  of  whom  greeted  him 
with  a  smile  and  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders,  as  If  she  were 
<  greeting  an  eccentric  but  harmless  old  man  with  whom  it  was 
'pleasant  to  have  a  chat. 

The  old  gentleman  sal  down  ;md  began  lo  talk  about  the 
latest  foreign  news,  speaking  in  French,  Josine  listening  in 
silence,  the  landlady  uMermg  (lie  usual  ejaculation.  Pres- 
ent] v  slip  rose  to  attend  lo  some  customers,  and  the  old  gen- 
tleman dropped  the  news  of  the  day  abruptly  and  leaned 
over  to  Josint, 


104  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

"  Welly  mademoiselle  ?"  he  said. 

"  Speak  in  English,"  said  Josine.  "  There  is  not  one,  or 
few,  who  understand  it." 

"  True.  You  are  alway  discreet,"  he  said,  with  a  beautiful 
French  accent.  "  Have  you  what  I  want  ?" 

Josine  regarded  him  with  a  cunning  look  in  her  black 
eyes,  then  her  head  drooped  on  one  side,  musingly. 

"Have  I  got  what  you  want?  I  don't  know.  Last  time 
we  met,  you  asked  me  to  procure  some  specimens  of  hand- 
writings." 

"And  have  you  got  them?"  he  said. 

"And  I  have  got  them,"  she  assented. 

"Ah,  thanks.  A  million  thanks !"  he  murmured,  holding 
out  his  hand. 

"  Wait  a  minute,"  she  said,  with  a  short  nod,  "  you  have 
not  got  them  yet !" 

He  looked  at  her  for  a  moment,  then  he  took  some  sover- 
eigns from  his  pocket,  counted  out  ten  and  laid  them  on  the 
table,  covering  them  with  his  hand. 

•"  See !"  he  said,  with  a  smile.     "  Exchange  is  a  practice  of 

all  races.     Give  me  the  letters — I  will  not  say  letters,  any 

scrap  of  paper  bearing  the  handwritings  of  Lady  Penclleton 

.  and  Miss  Carlisle,  the  two  friends  I  have  heard  you  mention 

—and  this  little  bagatelle  is  yours." 

'''  Put  five  more  sovereigns,  monsieur,  and  they  are  yours," 
she  said. 

He  added  them  slowly,  and  lifted  his  hand. 

Josine  pushed  the  letters  across  to  him  with  one  set  of 
fingers,  and  clutched  the  money  with  the  other.  He  laughed. 
softly  at  her  eagerness,  and  unfolded  the  papers.  There  were 
three:  a  scrap  of  memorandum  written  by  Lady  Pendleton,  a 
short  note  from  Lord  Norman,  containing  a  few  lines  accept- 
ing an  invitation,  and  a  copy  of  some  song  verses  in  Floris's 
handwriting. 

He  glanced  at  them  with  a  face  from  which  every  trace  of 
expression  had  vanished,  then  he  put  them  in  his  pocket  and 
nodded. 

"Thanks.  1  am  now  satisfied.  I  shall  study  these  speci- 
mens and  make  my  notes — 

He  stopped,  for  a  broad  grin  spread  itself  over  Josi 
face. 

"Oh,  do  not  trouble  to  play  the  comedy  out,  monsieur!** 
she  said.  "  It  is  of  no  consequence  to  me  what  you  want 


105 

them  for.  You  hare  them-;  I  have  the  good  money.  We  are 
quits— for  the  present.  For  the  present !  Shall  I  be  too 
rash  if  I  prophesy  that  it  will  not  be  long  before  monsieur  re- 
quires my  assistance  again?" 

He  looked  at  her,  then  he  got  up  and  stood  silent  aud 
smiling. 

"  Mademoisellle  is  observant,"  he  said  with  a  bow.  "  Yes, 
it  may  be;  and  if  I  should,  mademoiselle  will  give  me  her 
valuable  aid?" 

"  No,"  said  Josine,  showing  all  her  teeth.  "  I  will  sell  it 
to  you,  though." 

"Ah,  but  that  is  the  same,"  he  said,  and  with  a  sweep  of 
his  hat,  he  stole  out. 

Josine  sat  and  watched  him  for  a  moment,  then  her  eyes 
gleamed. 

"  Observant !  One  need  not  be  so  exceedingly  observant  to 
remark  that  for  an  old  man,  so  very  white-headed  an  old 
man,  monsieur  has  very  bright  eyes,  and  hands — bah ! 
white  and  smooth  as  a  man's  of  fi  ve-and-twenty !" 


CHAPTER   XIII. 


THE  Lynches  of  Ballyfloe  were  extremely  popular  people. 

Sir  Joseph  had  started  in  life  as  an  errand  boy  in  'a  mer- 
chant's office;  had,  by  the  usual  process,  developed  into  a  full- 
blown merchant  himself,  and,  by  a  happy  venture  in  jute  or 
cotton — some  said  tallow — had  succeeded  in  making  a  pile 
which  rumor  put  at  a  round  million. 

j  Ballyfloe  was  one  of  the  finest  estates  in  Scotland.  The 
house  was  a  magnificent  one,  built  by  a  great  Scotch  lord, 
and  so  added  to  and  improved  by  Sir  Joseph  that  it  had  be- 
come a  palace.  In  addition  to  a  deer  forest  and  trout  streams, 
the  Lynches  had  a  wonderful  French  cook,  and  a  famous 
library  of  books  and  gallery  of  pictures,  so  that  the  net  was 
constructed  to  catch  and  hold  all  sorts  of  fish;  and  no  one 
considered  himself  happy  unless  he  could  look  forward  to  a 
fortnight  in  the  autumn  at  Ballyfloe. 

This  particular  party  had  been  organized  to  meet  Lord 
Bruce,  who  was  a  special  favorite  with  Sir  Joseph,  and  com- 


106  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

prised  some  of  the  best  known  of  the  best  set-— lords  and 
ladies,  painters  and  poets—  and  the  arrival  of  Lord  Bruce's 
betrothed  was  looked  forward  to  with  the  keenest  interest.. 

Bruce,  of  course,  traveled  down  with  them,  and  after  a 
journey  which  Ploris  thought  so  short  as  to  seem. one  of  a  fcv/ 
miles  only,  they  reached  tlie  nearest  station  to  BaHyfloe.  Here 
they  found  a  magnificently-appointed  carriage  with  an  or;!* 
rider,  and  a  fourgon  for  the  luggage. 

After  a  short  drive  they  arrived  at  the  house.  The  carriage 
door  was  thrown  open,  and  down  the  lane  of  servants  Sir 
Joseph  marched  himself  to  hand  the  ladies  out. 

"  I  am  very  delighted  to  see  you/'  he  said,  with  a  stiff  bow, 
and  a  pleasant  smile  on  his  simple  yet  shrewd  face.  "  Lord 
Norman,  I  hope  the  ladies  are  not  tired  out  I  Lady  Pendle- 
ton,  it  was  extremely  kind  of  you  to  honor  me.  My  wife  is 
very  anxious  to  see  you,  Miss  Carlisle,"  and  witli  a  lady  on 
each  side  of  him,  the  man  who  had  commenced  life  by  lighting 
an  office  fire  and  dusting  desks,  led  them  into  the  magnificent 
hall. 

Here  they  were  met  by  Lady  Lynch,  a  pleasant  little  body, 
who  seemed  as  homely  amid  her  grand  surroundings  as  if  she 
were  in  a  suburban  semi-detached  villa. 

"And  this  is  Miss  Carlisle  ?"  she  said,  looking  up  at  Floris 
as  she  held  her  hand.  "  My  dear,  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you. 
Lord  Bruce  is  a  very  old  friend  of  my  husband's  and  of  mine. 
I  don't  think  there  is  any  one  my  husband  thinks  so  highly 
of,  or  looks  up  to  more  than  his  lordship,  and  I  hope  you  will 
like  us.  We  will  do  all  we  can  to  make  your  stay  with  us 
pleasant  to  you — oh,  yes,  for  our  own  sakes— so  that  we  may 
induce  you  to  come  again." 

Floris's  eyes  filled,  and  she  pressed  the  large  hand,  whicli 
was  as  soft  as  its  owner's  heart, 

"  I  am  sure  I  shall  be  very  happy,  Laxly  Lynch,"  she  said, 
"  and  I  am  very  glad  to  come." 

"  Thank  you,  my  dear !  And  now  you  shall  go  to  your 
rooms." 

From  hall  to  hall  and  corridor  to  corridor  they  were  led 
with  almost  royal  state  to  their  apartments — apartments  such 
as  Floris  had  never  even  imagined — and  were  told  that  they 
had  an  hour  in  which  to  prepare  for  dinner. 

In  the  drawing-room  Floris  and  Lady  Betty  were  soon  sur- 
rounded :  it  was  generally  understood  that  Floris  was  to  be 


MY    LADY   PRTDE. 

the  lady  to  be  specially  honored  this  autumn  at  Ballyfloe,  and 
the  worldlings  were  eager  to  pay  their  homage. 

Another  girl  might  have  been  rendered  vain,  might  have 
been  in  danger  of  having 'her  head  turned,  by  the  attention 
and  adulation  lavished  upon  her;  but,  as  usual,  Floris  re- 
ceived and  often  parried  it  with  her  simple,,  unassuming 
modesty. 

Presently,  from  the  other  end  of  the  room,  entered  Lady 
Blanche. 

She  was  splendidly  dressed,  as  usual — with  greater  care, 
perhaps,  than  usual — and  as  she  glided  toward  them,  many  a 
glance  of  admiration  was  directed  toward  her. 

With  a  sweet  smile,  that  was  almost  child-like  in  its  glad- 
ness, she  came  up  to  the  group  and  kissed  Floris. 

"I  am  so  glad  you  have  come!"  she  murmured.  "We 
have  all  been  expecting  you  so  eagerly." 

It  was  not  until  the  dinner — a  grander  banquet  than  any 
that  in  all  past  ages  had  merited  the  name — had  commenced, 
that  Floris  noticed  that  Lady  Blanche  was  not  looking  so 
well  as  when  she  had  seen  her' for  the  first  time  in  her  box  at 
the  opera. 

There  was  a  look  of  thoughtfulness  almost  amounting  ft) 
careen  the^eyes,  and  a  strange,  proud  smile  on  the  lips  that 
Floris  had  thought  incapable  of  expressing  aught  but  com- 
plete and  perfect  repose. 

Once  during  the  dinner,  as  she  was  listening  to  Lord  Nor- 
man, who  was  talking  to  Lady  Glenloona,  Floris  looked  up 
and  caught  Lady  Blanche's  eyes  fixed  on  her  face  with  a  curi- 
ous expresison. 

It  was  not  one  of  dislike  exactly,  but  rather  one  of  close 
watchfulness.  Of  course,  it  instantly  changed  to  a  smile,  l^r\ 
that  the  look  had  actually  shone  in  her  dark  eyes  Floris  feL 
assured.  » 

Some  one  else  noticed  it  also,  for  as  the  ladies  trooped  ofr 
to  the  drawing-room,  Floris  felt  Lady  Betty's  fan  on  her  arm, 
and  heard  her  whisper : 

"  How  strange  she  looked  to-night— Blanche,  I  mean !" 

<<  Strange?"  said  Floris. 

'  Yes,"  said  Lady  Betty,  pulling  her  down  to  an  ottoman. 
"  I  have  never  seen  her  look  like  that.  Do  you  know  I'm 
afraid  Blanche  is  up  to  mischief !" 

"Aren't  you  inclined  to  be  unjust  to  Lady  Blanche?''  Floris 
said,  gently.  "You  don't  like 'her,  you  knew— " 


MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

3S"o,  I  don1!     We  never  could  get  on,"  assented  Lady 
y;  "  and  I  am  always  suspicious  of  her;  but  1  dare  say  I 
unjust—  oh,  I've  no  doubt  I  am  !     After  all,  what  mischief 
'can  she  do?"  and  she  looked  at  Floris,  thoughtfully. 

Floris  shook  her  head. 

"  What  indeed-!"  she  said,  laughing.     "  One  would  thinly 
bearing  us  talk,  that  she  was  a  naughty  school-girl  in  per- 
petual danger  of  playing  some  trick  or  other." 
'    "  Hem  !"  said  Lady  Betty.     "  Hush  !  here  she  comes,"  and 
she  got  up  to  make  room  for  Lady  Blanche. 

If  there  had  been  any  malice  in  the  glance  which  Floris  had 
met  across  the  dinner  table,  her  manner  atoned  for  it  now,  if 
it  did  not  entirely  wipe  out  all  remembrance  of  it. 

Under  the  influence  of  the  rare  smile  and  the  soft,  dulcet 
voice,  Floris  found  herself  lulled  into  a  belief  that  the  beauti- 
ful creature  could  not  possibly  be  guilty  of  anything  approach- 
ing deceit,  and  she  was  in  that  state  of  mind  when  the  door 
opened  and  the  gentlemen  entered. 

She  saw  Lord  Norman  look  around  and  discover  her,  and 
then  come  across  the  room  with  the  directness  of,  and  the 
speed  of,  an  arrow  from  a  bow. 

"Well?"  he  said.     "You  two  talking  scandal?" 

"We  -have  been  having  a  charming  chat,"  said  Lady 
Blanche  ;  "  so  nice  and  absorbing  that  we  had  quite  forgotten 


"All  right,"  he  said  ;  "  then  Fll  go  away  again." 

"  No,  you  need  not  do  that,"  she  said  ;  "  you  can  sit  down 
anfl  talk  to  Floris.  I  am  going  to  play,"  and  with  a  slow, 
graceful  ease  she  glided  to  the  piano  and  commenced  playing. 

"  It  is  awfully  warm,"  he  said.  "  Let  us  go  into  the  con- 
servatory; we  can  hear  Blanche's  waltz  just  as  well  there. 
'What  a  crowd  it  is  !  People  come  and  go  here  as  if  it  were 
open  house  for  all  the  world."  % 

He  drew  her  arm  through  his,  and  they  made  their  way  into 
the  large  glass  house,  which  ran  the  whole  length  of  one  end 
of  the  room. 

There,  leaning  against  a  marble  statue  of  Venus,  he  stood 
and  looked  down  at  her,  talking  to  her  in  that  softened  voice 
which  is  the  best  medium  for  love's  confidences;  and  Floris, 
with  half-closed  eyes,  sat  and  listened,  forgetful  of  the  world 
outside,  even  of  the  little  world  so  near  them. 

•Suddenly,  while  she  was  sitting  there,  she  heard  a  strange 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  109 

sound  behind  ker,  the  sound  as  of  some  one  trying  to  open  a 
window. 

For  a  moment  or  two  she  paid  no  attention  to  it,  and  it  was 
Lord  Norman  who  remarked  it. 

"  There  is  an  awful  draught  all  of  a  sudden/'  he  said. 
"  Some  one  has  opened  a  window." 

And  he  turned  and  walked  some  steps  behind  her. 

Floris  heard  him  speak,  and  looking  around  saw,  to  her* 
amazement,  the  thin  figure  of  Josine  standing  close  up  againsfr 
the  glass  wall. 

She  was  very  pale,  and  her  btack  eyes  shone  with  a  half-i 
frightened,  half-defiant  glare  for  a  moment,  then  drooped,  as  * 
she  made  a  respectful  courtesy. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here  ?"  asked  Lord  Norman,  quietly. 

"  Pardon,  milord/'  said  Josine,  glibly ;  "  I  have  lost  my 
way." 

"Lost  your  way!"  he  said,  in  his  grave,  clear  voice. 
"  Where  were  you  going,  then  ?" 

The  question  was  so  sudden  that  for  a  moment  Josine  was 
nonplused.  She  had  expected  Lord  Norman  would  point  t@ 
an  open  door  in  silence. 

"  To  miladi's  room,  milord/'  she  replied. 

Lord  Norman  looked  at  her  keenly. 

"  To  the  upper  corridor !  What  are  you  doing  her*  then  ?" 
he  demanded. 

Josine  had  gathered  her  wits  by  this  time,  and  raised  h®r 
eyes  with  a  deprecatory  glance. 

"  Pardon,  milord.     I  had  a  letter  for  her  ladyship,  and 
hoped  to  get  an  opportunity  of  delivering  it.     Milord,  a  thou- 
sand pardons  !     I  have  dropped  it !" 
-    Lord  Norman  looked  at  her  sternly  in  silence. 

"  Yes !"  she  exclaimed,  under  her  breath,  her  eyes  roving 
the  floor.  "  It  is  certain  that  I  have  dropped  it." 

"  You  had  better  go  and  find  it,"  he  said,  pointing  to  the 
open  door  behind  her.  "Go  through -that  door  and  you  will] 
find  yourself  in  one  of  the  .passages  to  the  hall ;  there  are! 
servants  there  who  will  direct  you,  as  you  know,  and  mighf^ 
have  remembered !  Do  not,  please,  enter  this  part  of  the 
house  unless  you  are  requested  to  do  so !" 

"Yes,  milord;  certainly,"  she  murmured,  and  with  a 
drooping  head  and  gait,  eloquent  of  the  deepest  contrition  anfl 
humility,  she  passed  out. 


110  MY   LADY  PRIDE. 

They  waited  a  little  while  longer,  then  Floris  got  up. 

"Let  us  go  in  now/'  she  said,  falteringly;  and  she  drew 
away  from  him  to  the  drawing  room. 

As  she  did  so  she  saw  something  white  lying  on  the  ground 
at  her  feet,  and  pointed  to  it  with  her  fan. 

"  What  is  that,  Bruce  ?"  she  asked. 

He  stooped  down  and  picked  it  up, 

"  It's  a  letter,"  he  said,  carrying  it  to  the  light,  "  and  ad- 
dressed to — " 

a  Lady  Betty,"  she  broke  in.  "  Bruce,  admit  that  you  have 
^'.one  poor  Josine  an  injustice." 

He  held  the  note  up  with  the  direction  toward  him. 

"Admit  that  in  your  mind  you  have  done  me  an  injustice, 
if  you  please !"  he  retorted,  smiling.  "  This  letter  is  ad- 
dressed to  the  Lady  Blanche  Seymour !" 

"To  Lady  Blanche  Seymour!"  echoed  Floris.  "What  a 
strange  coincidence  that  Josine  should  lose  a  letter  for  Lady 
Betty,  and  that  you  should  find  one  on  the  spot  addressed  to 
Lady  Blanche!" 

"  Isn't  it  ?"  he  assented ;  then  he  looked  at  the  address 
though tfullyw  "  Strange !"  he  said.  "  The  handwriting  seems 
familiar  to  me,  and  yet  I  cannot  remember  whose  it  is." 

Floris  went  and  looked  over  his  arm  at  the  envelope. 

"  Why,  it  has  not  come  through  the  post,  Bruce,"  she  said, 
then  she  laughed.  "  How  dreadfully  curious  we  are !  It  is 
awfully  bad  manners  to  examine  another  person's  letters  so 
minutely.  Pray  take  it  to  her  at  once." 

He  put  the  letter  in  his  pocket,  still  thoughtful. 

"  No,  I  can't  remember ;  and  yet  the  writing  is  as  familiar 
to  rne  as  my  own.  Floris,"  suddenly,  "do  you  think  it  was 
this  note  that  girl  had  lost?" 

"  No ;  she  said  distinctly  that  it  was  for  Lady  Betty," 

He  shook  his  head. 

"  T  mistrust  that  girl.     Let  us  take  it  to  Blanche." 

A  great  German  maestro  was  playing  on  the  grand  piano,  a 
JTIZZ  of  conversation  filled  the  room,  and  at  the  further  end, 
,n  mounded  by  several  men,  they^saw  Lady  Blanche. 

She  was  sitting  in  a  deep,  high-backed  chair,  leaning  indo- 
jjently  back,  her  fan  moving  to  and  fro  listlessly,  and  her  eyes 
fixed  on  vacancy. 

She  might  have  been  listening  to  the  music,  or  to  the  man 
who  was  talking  to  her,  or  lost  in  her  own  thoughts ;  to  Floris's 


MY   JUDY   PRIDE.  Ill 

mind  she  made  a  splendid  picture  of  beauty  conscious  of  its 
power,  and  Floris  stopped  Lord  Norman  by  pressing  his  arm. 

"  How  beautiful  she  is,  Bruce !"  she  whispered. 

"Eh?     Oh!  Blanche?— yes!" 

"  Very  beautiful,  I  mean !"  she  said,  with  emphasis.  "  I 
think  her  the  loveliest  wonlan  I  have  ever  seen — no,  no !  you 
must  not  indulge  in  such  silly  flattery !"  for  he  had  whisperecj 
a  word  or  two  of  a  beauty  that  was  sweeter  to  him  than  Lad$ 
Blanche's.  "  See  how  they  hang  upon  her  for  a  word  or  a 
smile.  If  she  were  a  queen  she  could  not  be  more  courted.  If 
I  were  a  man  I  should  not  be  able  to  resist  her." 

He  laughed  softly. 

He  was  so  happy,  so  free  from  care,  so  entirely  wrapped  up 
in  his  passionate  devotion  to  the  beautiful  girl  on  his  arm, 
that  he  could  afford  to  laugh  at  his  fancy  for  Lady  Blanche  as 
a  midsummer  madness  past  and  gone. 

"  Let  us  give  her  her  note,"  he  said. 

They  went  up  to  the  little  group,  and  Lady  Blanche  raised 
her  eyes  and  smiled  up  at  them,  a  half  sleepy  smile,  such  as 
Cleopatra  might  have  worn  as  she  lay  on  board  her  yacht 
surrounded  by  her  slaves. 

"  Fve  something  for  you,  Blanche,"  said  Lord  Norman. 

"  Yes?"  opening  her  eyes  wide  and  holding  out  her  hand. 

The  little  crowd  looked  on  for  a  moment,  then  man  by  man 
cleared  away,  and  the  three  were  left  together. 

"What  is  it?  I  am  continually  dropping  my  bracelets 
and  things.  Give  it  to  me,  Bruce." 

"  It  is  not  a  bracelet,  Blanche,"  he  said,  an&  he  held  ont  the 
latter. 

She  took  it,  glanced  at  it,  shook  her  head. 

"  Who  is  it  from  ?     How  did  you  come  by  it  ?" 

Bruce  pressed  Floris's  hand  to  prevent  her  speaking,  and 
she  stood  silently  looking  down,  while  Lady  Blanche  held  the 
letter  daintily  between  her  finger  and  thumb. 

"  How  can  I  tell  ?     Open  it  and  see." 

"  May  I  ? "  with  a  glance  at  Floris. 

"  Yee,  we  are  all  curiosity,"  he  said,  smiling. 

She  raised  her  eyebrows. 

"  Will  you  promise  to  pay  it  for  me  if  it  should  be  a  bill  ? 
Will  you — "  She  stopped  suddenly,  and  the  blood  rose  to 
her  pale  face,  dying  it  a  deep  crimson,  then  left  it  paler  than 
before. 

Floris  was  astonished.     Lord  Bruce  looked  graye. 


112  MY    LADY    PKIDE. 

t(  Is  it  bad  news,  Blanche  ?"  he  asked. 

She  looked  up  at  him  steadily. 

"Bad  news?  No!  Why  should  you  think  that?"  she 
asked,  laughing  softly.  "  It  is  a  bill,  and  so  exorbitant  a  one 
that  it  made  me  feel  quite  angry.  I  wish  you  had  promised 
yto  pay  it"  and  she  let  the  paper  fall  into  her  lap,  but  so 
*  carefully  careless  '  that  the  blank  side  fell  upward. 

At  that  moment,  with  a  final  crash,  the  great  maestro's 
^performance  came  to  an  end;  a  murmur  of  applaust  broke 
out;  there  was  a  general  movement — people  always  move 
about  at  the  end  of  a  piece  of  music  or  song,  as  if  they  had 
been  listening  patiently,  instead  of  talking  loudly  as  they  in- 
variably do — and  some  one  spoke  to  Lord  Norman,  and  drew 
his  attention  away  from  Lady  Blanche. 

When  he  looked  around,  a  minute  or  two  later,  she  had 
gone,  and  she  did  not  appear  again  that  evening. 

In  the  privacy  of  her  own  room,  having  locked  the  door, 
she  took  out  the  paper  and  read  it  again,  and  as  she  did 
so  her  lips  grew  pale  and  hard,  and  her  brows  knitted  with 
the  look  of  care  and  anxiety  which  Lady  Betty  had  noticed. 

"  Will  you  meet  me  in  the  plantation  by  the  bridge  to- 
morrow morning  at  eleven  o'clock  ?  "  ran  the  note. 

There  was  no  signature,  but  though  Lord  Norman  had  for- 
gotten the  handwriting,  Lady  Blanche  had  not.  It  was 
Oscar  Kaymond's. 

With  an  inarticulate  cry  she  drew  herself  to  her  full  height, 
crushing  the  paper  in  her  hand,  almost  as  if  the  writer  were 
before  her,  and  she  could  crush  him  with  her  scorn,  and  con- 
tempt, and  defiance. 

"  He  writes — he  orders  me — as  if  I  were  his  slave !  "  she 
muttered,  fiercely,  between  her  teeth.  "Oh,  fool — fool  that 
,t  was,  ever  to  have  listened  to  him !  And  yet — and  yet — if  it 
/ jan  be  done !  Oh,  how  I  hate  her !  If  it  can  be  done !  If  he 
can  tear  them  asunder,  I  do  not 'mind  this  humiliation,  this 
disgrace !  Her  happiness  mocks  and  maddens  me !  And  it  is 
for  Bruce's  sake,  not  for  mine  alone !  He  would  tire  of  her  in 
a  month,  while  I — I  know  that  I  would  keep  his  love  for  my 
life !  Oh,  love,  love !  to  what  depths  am  I  dragged  for  your 
dear  sake !  " 

The  "  plantation  "  was  not  a  recent  addition  to  the  estate, 
for  the  firs  had  been  planted  three  generations  back,  and  were 
grown  high  and  large  enough  to  form  a  little  wood  that  served 


M¥  tADY   PRSBE. 

as  a  cover  for  the  game  and  made  a  pretty  point  in  view  from 
the  house. 

Lady  Blanche  knew  the  spot  well,  and  knew,  too,  why  Oscar 
Raymond  had  chosen  it. 

From  that  point  of  the  plantation  which  he  had  chosen,  the 
whole  of  the  rgad  could  be  seen,  and  no  one  could  eome  upon 
them  unawares — at  any  rate,  from  the  house. 

Sir  Joseph  had  formed  a  riding  party  for  that  morning,  and 
Lady  Blanche  had  promised  to,  join  it,  but  she  sent  down  a 
message  by  her  maid  that  she  had  a  headache,  and  did  not 
appear  in  the  breakfast-room,  in  which  breakfast  was  kept 
going  from  nine  till  noon,  and  which  presented  the  appear- 
ance of  a  London  restaurant  from  the  number  of  people  who 
dropped  in  at  all  times  between  those  hours,  aad  the  con- 
tinued moving  to  and  fro  of  .the  servants. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  riding  party  started,  and  Lady  Blanehe, 
having  made  inquiries,  learned  that  Lord  Norman  had  go$e 
with  it,  but  that  Miss  Carlisle  had  remained  in  the  house  with' 
Lady  Betty. 

To  know  that  they  were  separated  for  a  few  hours,  brought 
a  strange,  unreasoning  feeling  of  relief,  and  almost  accepting 
the  fact  as  an  omen  of  success,  she  dressed  and  telling  her 
maid  that  she  was  going  to  walk  her  headache  off,  made  h«r 
way  to  the  plantation. 

She  reached  the  bridge  as  the  .slock  struck  eleven,  waited 
there  ,for  some  minutes,  then  slowly  strolled  into  the  dense 
shade  of  the  pines. 

She  had  brought  a  book  as  an  excuse  for  loitering,  amd 
with  it  open  in  her  hand  she  sat  down  on  a  fallen  tree  and 
waited. 

There  was  no  sign  of  Oscar  Eaymond,  and  she  had  seesa  mo 
one  since  she  started,  excepting  an  old  laborer  in  a  rough 
fjieze  coat,  whom 'she  had  found  busily  engaged  picking  up 
sticks  at  the  fringe  of  the  plantation,  and  with  a  sigh  of  re- 
lief, as  the  clock  chimed  the  half  hour,  shg  rose  and  closed1 
her  book  intending  to  go  home,  when  the  old  man  in  the 
frieze  coat  hobbled  toward  her,  passed  her  a  few  steps,  paused 
to  gather  some  sticks  and  cones,  and  then  hobbled  back  again, 
and  stood  beside  her  looking  up  at  her,  with  his  hat  in  his 
hand  and  his  reddish -gray  locks  streaming  down  his  neck. 

Lady  Blanche  had  taken  out  her  purse,  when  the  old  man 
put  his  hat  0n  again  and  laughed. 


MY   LADY 

At  the  sound  of  the  laugh — the  low,  soft,  mocking  laugff 
— Lady  Blanche  started  and  turned  crimson. 

"Is  it  you?"  she  said. 

"  Yes,"  said  Raymond,  "  and  if  your  ladyship  does  not 
recognize  me,  I  need  not  fear  detection  by  any  others  here," 
and  he  peered  up  at  her  from  his  half-closed  eyes  with  a  fur- 
tive.smile. 

"  Why  are  you  here  ?     Was  it  necessary  ?  "  she  asked,  coldly. 

"  Quite,"  he  said,  "  or  depend  upon  it  I  should  not  hav<j 
taken  the  journey.  Things  are  working  well  for  us,  my 
lady.  There  could  be  no  better  scene  for  our  little  comefly 
than  this.  You  will  understand  that  when  I  unfold  my 
plot." 

"  Your  plot  ?    Then  you  are  ready — " 

"  To  strike !  "  he  said,  quietly,  and  with  the  smile  of  con-' 
scious  power  which  had  never  failed  to  impress  Lady  Blanche. 
"  But  we  had  better  come  into  the  middle  of  the  wood,  my 
lady,"  and  he  hobbled  in  front  of  her. 

Lady  .Blanche  followed  him  until"  they  had  got  well  out  of 
sight  of  the  road,  then  he  stopped,  and,  courteous^  motion- 
ing her  to  a  bank,  drew  himself  up  to  his  full  Height  and 
leaned  against  a  tree. 

"  We  need  to  be  cautious,  my  lady,"  he  said.  "  Last  night 
my  messenger  was  discovered  by  Lord  iSTorman.  He  was 
supicious — and  no  wonder.  Your  French  women  are  bad 
tools;  they  are  always  so. curious  on  their  own  account.  That 
is  Josine's  only  fault." 

"  It  was  Josine,  then,  who  brought  me  this  note  ?  "  she  said, 
coldly. 

"  It  was  Josine  who  should  have  brought  it,  but  she  dropped 
it,  and  it  was  brought  to  you  by  Lord  Norman,"  he  answered. 
"A  dangerous  episode,  my  lady!  Her  stupidity  might  have 
ruined  us,  and  that  would  have  been  provoking,  just  as  our 
plans  are  complete." 

"  Complete  ?  "  she  repeated,  turning  very  pale. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  with  a  smile,  and  with  a  look  of  confidence 
that  shone  through  the  painted  wrinkles  on  hi?  face.  "  Yes 
my  little  comedy  is  now  ready  for  the  stage,  my  little  plot  i> 
prepared,  and  given  a  fair  opportunity — which  we  must  make 
— and  average  luck,  I  shall  have  my  revenge,  and  you — well, 
you  will  have  had  your  amusement-!  " 

"  Tell  me !  "  she  said,  impatiently. 

"With  pleasure,"  he  answered,    "Lady  Blanche,  before 


MY    LADY    PRIDE.  118 

the  week  is  out,  Lord  Norman  and  the  young  lady  who  stands 
between  you — pardon !  the  young  lady .  he  loves — will  b* 
parted^,  and  I  shall  come  to  you  to  claim  my  reward ! " 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A  DIABOLICAL  PLOT. 

LADY  BLANCHE  drew  a  long  breath  and  looked  at  Kay- 
mond. 

The  dark,  piercing  eyes  met  hers  with  a  faint  smile  of  con* 
fidence,  a  forecast  of  triumph  in  them  that  contrasted  very 
strongly  with  the  disguise  of  age- and  poverty. 

"  Your  ladyship  would  like  to  know  how  I  am  going  to 
bring  this  much-to-be-desired  result  about,  I  will  tell  you. 
Will  you  not  sit  down  ?  We  are  quite  out  of  sight  from  the 
road." 

Lady  Blanche  sunk  on  to  a  fallen  tree,  and  Oscar  Eaymond 
—with  the  broken  sticks  he  had  gathered  at  his  feet,  ready  to 
his  hand  if  he  should  find  it  necessary  to  resume  his  assumed 
character — leaned  against  a  tree  beside  her. 

"  This  is  my  little  plot,  Lady  Blanche/'  he  said.  "  Pardon 
me  if,  during  the  recital,  I  exhibit  any  signs  of  pride.  They 
say  that  the  serpent  in  the  Garden  of  Eden  was  rather  con- 
ceited with  the  little  plot  of  the  apple,  whereby  he  caught 
Eve;  and  a  little  self-glorification  must  be  permitted  me." 

Lady  Blanche  made  a  gesture  of  impatience,  and  lowering 
his  voice — bending  down  as  he  approached  the  most  critical 
parts  of  the  recital— he  unfolded  his  scheme  for  the  destruc- 
tion of  Lord  Norman's  and  Floris's  happiness. 

L.ady  Blanche  listened,  and  her  face  grew  paler  and  paler. 

A  faint  shudder  ran  through  her  as  he  proceeded,  and  when 
he  had  finished,  when  the  insidious  voice  had  whispered  its 
last  word,  as  he  closed  with  a  low,  sardonic  laugh  of  satisfac- 
pon,  she  drew  a  little  away  from  him,  shuddering  palpably. 
;  "  Ingenious,  is  it  not,  my  lady?"  he  said,  with  a  sinister1 
smile. 

"  It  is  diabolical !  "  fell  from  her  pale  lips. 

"  Oh,  you  flatter  me !  "  he  retorted. 

"  Diabolical !  "  she  repeated. 

But  she  did  not  get  up  and  leave  him;  she  sat,  her  fingers 


116  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

intwined  together,  her  brows  knit,  pondering  in  silence  for  a 
moment  or  two,  while  he  watched  her. 

"  If — it  should  fail,"  she  said,  in  a  hushed  whisper,  "  it  will 
cover  me  with  shame !  I  shall  never  be  able  to  hold  up  rny 
head  again — I  should  die !  "'  clinching  her  hands. 

"  Oh,  it  will  not  fail !  "  he  said,  confidently;  "  it  is  too  good 
a  plot  to  fail.  It  is  just  a  little  comedy  that  requires  nice, 
careful,  artistic  aciing;  and  I  think  I  can  manage  my  part. 
As  to  your  ladyship,  I  have  no  misgivings  respecting  you;  it- 
is  just  the  part  you  can  play,  if  I  mistake  not,  to  perfection/*. 

Lady  Blanche's  face  grew  crimson  for  a  moment — crimson' 
with  shame — then  the  color  died  away,  leaving  her  pale  as 
marble. 

"There 'is  Josine,"  she  said,  after  a  moment's  thought, 
"  can  you  rely  on  her  ?  Persons  of  her  class  are  not  always  to 
be  trusted.  You  have  bought  her,  no  doubt,  but  she  may 
betray  us  for  gold  as  readily  as  she  consented  to  betray — 
them/' 

He  laughed. 

No  doubt.  But  I  hold  Josine  in  a  stronger  chain  than 
that  of  gold;  my  lady — I  hold  her  by  fear.  Josine,  in  a  weak 
moment,  was  foolish  enough  to  steal  some  letters  of  her  mis- 
tress, and  I  have  them.  If  I  am  not  mistaken,,  she  had  ap- 
propriated other  things  besides  letters — such  unconsidered 
filings  as  rings  and  a  bracelet.  I  have  seen  her  wear  them, 
which  was  a  blunder  on  her  part.  A  word  from  me,  and  she 
would  lose  her  place  and  her  character.  Besides,  Josine  is 
French — she  enjoys  an  affair  of  intrigue,  it  is  meat  and  drink 
to  her ;  and  she  hates,  she  detests  Miss  Carlisle.  Oh,  you  may 
rely  on  Josine,  my  lady  P 

"At  the  mercy  of  a  servant ! "  murmured  Lady  Blanche, 
with  suppressed  bitterness. 

He  laughed. 

"  We  are  all  at  the  mercy  of  some  one  or  other,  my  lady. 
Lord  Norman*,  for  instance,  is  at  the  mercy  of  you  and  me; 
while  I — oh,  I  am  at  the  mercy  of  my  tailor,  my  landlady — j 
the  world  at  large!  Is  ""your,  ladyship  afraid?"  he  broke  off,! 
with  a  sarcastic  smile.  "  If  so.  admit  it,  and  let  us  have  done 
with  the  matter.  After  all,  it  will  not  affect  me,  this  mar- 
riage of  Miss  Carlisle  and  Lord  Norman,  so  much  as  it  will 
affect  you — " 

She  put  up  her  hand  to  silence  him. 

"  I  am  not  afraid  I  "  she  saidj  with  calm  hauteur.    "  I  am 


MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

merely  anxious  to  guard  against  failure;  failure  which  would 
mean  ruin  to  me,  ruin  and  shame  unspeakable/'  and  her  lips 
quivered. 

"  Pardon  me,"  he  said,  suavely ;  "  it  is  my  part  to  take  all 
the  precautions  against  failure,  and  I  have  done,  and  will  do 
so.  Leave  it  to  me,  Lady  Blanche !  Rest  assured  that  I  am 
too  fond  of  my  little  plot  to  permit  it  to  miss  fire.  If  you  will 
carry  out  the  instructions  I  have  given  you,  you  will  find  that 
we  shall  succeed  beyond  our  expectations." 
*  Lady  Blanche  rose,  and  drew  her  veil  over  her  face,  and  he 
stooped  and  picked  up  his  sticks. 

"  You  will  send  Josine  to  me,  my  lady  ?  "  he  asked.  "  Send 
her  to  the  plantation  to  gather  some  wild  flowers  for  your 
hair  to-night.  I  will  wait  here  for  her.  And,  if  I  might 
make  a  suggestion  ?  " 

Lady  Blanche  inclined  her  head. 

"  If  I  were  your  ladyship  I  would  give  her  some  trifle  ir*  the 
way  of  ornament.  Josine's  heart  is  set  on  baubles  .d  a 
bracelet  or  a  pair  of  ear-rings  would  bind  her  to  yor  -  bond 
closer  than  love  itself,"  and  he  smiled. 

Lady  Blanche  nodded,  and  turned  to  leave  the  wood,  but 
paused  to  look  back  over  her  shoulder  and  say  • 

"  Do  not  send  me  any  more  notes;  Give  Josine  any  mes- 
sage you  may  have  for  me,  please.'* 

He  nodded  approvingly,  and  without  a  word  of  adieu  she 
glided  from  the  plantation. 

As  she  neared  the  house  she  saw  Lady  Pendleton  and  sev- 
eral others  standing  on  the  terrace. 

Lady  Betty  bent  over  the  stone  coping  to  nod  a  greeting 

"  Why,  where  have  you  been,  Blanche?  "  she  asked. 

All  eyes  were  turned  on  her,  and  for  a  moment  her  face 
flushed;  it  seemed  to  her  as  if  the  dullest  of  them  must  road 
her  secret  in  her  face. 

"  To  the  plantation,"  she  said ;  "  and  I  am  almost  inclined 
to  go  back.  There  were  such  lovely  flowers  there,  and  it 
never  occurred  to  me  until  I  had  left  them  behind  how  nioe 
some  of  them  would  look  in  one's  hair  to-night !  " 

Two  or  three  of  the  young  men  who  were  loitering  about 
instantly  pushed  forward. 

"  We'll  go  and  gather  you  a  bunch.  Lady  Blanche ! "  said 
one,  and  the  rest  eagerly  echoed  the  offer. 

She  smiled. 

"  Thanks ;  but  you  would  not  know  which  to  pick,  or  you 


118  MY   LADY   t>RIDE. 

would  pick  them  with  too  short  a  stem.  No,  but  if  Lady  Pen- 
dleton  will  allow  her  maid  to  go — ' 

"  Of  course  I  will !  "  said  Lady  Betty.  "  Josine  wonld  be 
glad  of  the  excuse  to  get  out.  Will  one  of  you  be  so  kind  as 
to  ask  one  of  the  army  of  footmen  to  go  on  a  voyage  of  dis- 
covery for  her  ?  Fd  go  to  my  room  and  ring  for  her  if  it  were 
not  such  a  terrible  way ! " 

One  or  two  of  them  laughingly  went  to  find  Josine,,  and 
in  a  minute  or  two  that  young  lady -stood  tfefore  her  mistress, 
with  her  dark  face  set  demurely. 

"  Oh,,  go  into  the  woods  and  get  some  wild  flowers,  Jo- 
sine  ! "  said  Lady  Pendleton. 

"  You  will  find  them  in  the  plantation  by  the  hedge/'  said 
Lady  Blanche,,  languidly,  and  without  raising  her  eyes. 

Josine  shot  a  curious  glance  from  one  to  the  other. 

"We  want  them  for  our  hair,"  explained  Lady  Betty. 

"  Certainly,  miladi,"  said  Josine,  with  a  respectful  bend  of 
the  head  and  a  second  sharp  glance  at  Lady  Blanche  as  she 
went  off. 

Lady  Blanche  sat  on  the  terrace  with  the  rest,  joining  in 
the  conversation,  and  even  laughing — a  rare  thing  for  her — 
at  the  feeble  sallies  of  wit  provided  by  the  young  gentlemen 
in  attendance ;  and  Lady  Betty,  to  whom  Lady  Blanche  was  a 
perpetual  enigma,  was  wondering  what  had  put  her  in  such  a 
good  humor,  when  the  figure  of  Josine  was  seen  in  the  dis- 
tance returning  to  the  house. 

"  Isn't  that  Josine  ?  "  asked  Lady  Betty.  "She  hasn't  been 
gone  long ! " 

Lady  Blanche  smiled;  she  knew  at  once  that  Josine  had 
found  the  flowers  already  picked  for  her. 

"I  don't  expect  she  cared  very  much  for  a  lonely  wood," 
ehe  said,  and  as  she  spoke  she  rose  and  walked  slowly  and 
languidly  away,  as  if  she  had  either  forgotten  the  flowers,  or 
ceased  to  care  for  them. 

With  a  fast-beating  heart  she  went  to  her  room,  and,  sit- 
ting down  before  the  glass,  scanned  her  face  anxiously. 

When  Josine  came  there  must  be  no  chink  in  the  mask 
through  which  the  girl  might  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  troubled 
soul  within! 

Presently  she  heard  a  knock  at  the  door,  and  in  response  to 
her  languid  "Come  in,  please!"  Josine  entered. 

With  downcast  eyes  she  approached  and  held  out  a  bunch 
of  flowers,  without  a  word. 


MY   LADY   PRIOTC.  119 

"Put  them  on  the  table,  please/'  said  Lady  Blanche. 

Josine  obeyed,  and  stood  with  folded  hands  and  lowered 
lids. 

"Will  they  suit  your  ladyship?"  she  asked. 

Lady  Blanche  took  them  up  and  looked  at  them  carelessly. 

"  Yes,,  thanks !  "  she  replied,  and  raised  her  eyes  to  Jo- 
sine's  face.  As  she  did  so,  Josine  raised  her  eyes,  and  the  two 
looked  at  each  other  in  silence  for  a  moment;  but  Josine's 
glance  was  eloquent,  and  Lady  Blanche  read  and  understood 
all  that  it  meant. 

"  You  have  taken  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  Josine/'  she  said, 
languidly,  her  voice  calm  and  cold. 

"Not  at  all,  my  lady,"  she  answered.  " I  am  very  pleased 
to  be  of  any  service  to  your  ladyship." 

"  Thank  you !  "  said  Lady  Blanche,  reaching  for  the  jewel- 
case  as  she  spoke  and  taking  out  a  pearl  and  ruby  ring. 
"  Will  you  take  this  ring,  please  ?  I  have  no  doubt  it  will  fit 
you.  You  have,"  glancing  at  her  hands,  "  slight  fingers." 

Josine  colored  with  flattered  vanity,  and  her  eyes  flashed  on 
the  ring  greedily. 

"  Oh,  your  ladyship  is  too  good ! "  she  murmured. 

"  Oh,  no !  "  said  Lady  Blanche,  with  a  little  quiver.  "  It 
is  a  mere  trifle,  Josine.  By  the  way  " — carelessly — "  it  would 
be  as  well,  perhaps,  if  you  did  not  wear  it  while  yon  are  her* ! 
The  other  servants  might  be  jealous;  you  understand?" 

Josine's  black  eyes  twinkled  very  intelligently 

"  I  understand,  my  lady !  No,  I  will  not  wear  it.  I  am 
very  grateful!  Your  ladyship  may  always  rely  on  me,,  ia 
everything,"  she  added,  significantly. 

"  I  am  sure  of  that,  Josine,"  said  Lady  Blanche.      ' 

Josine  hesitated  a  moment,  as  she  put  the  ring  in  her  pock- 
et, then  turned,  to  leave  the  room. 

"  I  hope  the  flowers  will  prove  suitable,  miladi,"  she  said, 
in  a  low  voice.  "  I  did  not  gather  th^m  myself ;  an  old  man 
picked  them  for  me." 

Lady  Blanche  flushed  for  an  instant  and  seemed  about  to 
speak,  then  inclined  her  head,  and  with  a  reverential  sweep 
of  the  body,  Josine  took  herself  off. 

Lady  Blanche  remained  in  her  room  nearly  all  that  day; 
she  was  "learning  her  part,"  a  part  difficult  to  play,  for  the 
words  were  of  necessity  unwritten  and  would  depend  upon 
circumstances ;  but  as  the  dr@«sing-bell  rang  she  rose  from  the 
sola,  ©a  which  she  had  thrown  herself  for  a  few  minutes'  rest, 


MY   LADY   PRTBE. 

and  sleep  if  possible,  prepared  to  play  that  part,  though  its 
failure,  as  she  had  told  Oscar  Raymond,  would  mean  shame 
and  disgrace  to  her. 

With  the  sound  of  the  dressing-bell  the  great  place  began 
to  echo  to  the  voices  of  the  gentlemen  who  had  been  out  since 
luncheon  after  grouse. 

Moris,  who  was  in  the  pretty  little  boudoir  which  she  shared 
with  Lao'y  Betty,  heard  Lord  Norman  stop  outside,  and 
opened  to  his  knock. 

He  leaned  against  the  door,  his  gun  in  his  hand,  looking 
supremely  handsome  in  his  business-like  shooting  rig,  and 
particularly  happy  and  satisfied. 

"  Well,  my  darling !  "  he  murmured,  putting  his  arm  round 
her  and  drawing  her  to  him ;  "  what  have  you  been  doing  with 
yourself  ?  We  have  had  splendid  sport— wonderful  bag  for  so 
short  a  time  and  so  few  guns!" 

"  Is  this  one  loaded,  pray  ?  "  asked  Floris.  "  I  don't  know 
that  I  care  to  have  it  quite  so  near,  Bruce.  How  heavy  it  is ! 
Aren't  you  tired  ?  "  with  that  little  upward  glance  of  wonder 
and  admiration  which  a  woman  bestows  on  the  man  she  loves. 

He  laughed. 

"  Not  a  bit.  By  the  way,  don't  forget  that  we  are  going  to 
have  a  dance  this  evening ;  so  put  on  your  finery,  and  prepare 
for  conquest ! " 

"  I  wish  you'd  go,  and  let  Moris  get  dressed,  Bruce !"  called 
out  Lady  Betty  from  the  inner  room. 

"All  right,"  he  said,  laughingly.  "I'm  fearfully  hungry! 
Oh,  I  didn't  tell  you  how  nearly  we  had  an  accident  this 
afternoon ! " 

"An  accident!"  echoed  Floris,  turning  pale — on  his  ac- 
count— and  glancing  at  the  gun. 

He  smiled. 

"  Yes,  and  all  my  fault !  I  was  a  little  ahead  of  the  others 
(hear  the  plantation,  when  some  birds  rose  right  in  front  of 
me.  I  raised  my  gun,  and  without  thinking  of  the  possibility 
of  there  being  any  one  in  the  wood,  fired.  The  next  instant 
an  old  man,  with  long,  gray  hair,  came  out  from  the  very  spot 
I  had  fired  at!" 

"Oh,  Bruce!" 

"  "Don't  be  alarmed,  I  hadn't  hit  him ;  at  least,  so  I  con- 
clude, for  the  old  fellow  went  off  pretty  smartly,  and  disap- 
peared without  saying  a  word ;  but^he  shook  his  fist  as  he  went, 
which  you  may  consider  equivalent  to  a  whole  dictionary.  He 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  121 

was  a  curious-looking  fellow,  dressed  in  a  rough  coat.  I 
suppose  he  was  one  of  the  pensioners  on  the  estate,  and 
was  gathering  firewood,  for  he  had  a  bundle  in  his  hand.  I 
asked  Sir  Joseph  if  he  knew  him,  but  he  didn't  seem  to.  I 
must  get  him  to  make  inquiries." 

"So  that  you  may  give  him  a  sovereign  to  cure  his  fright !  " 
said  Moris,  archly. 

"  Exactly ! "  he  said,  and  taking  her  face  in  his  hand  he 
kissed  her,  ?>nd  went  off  humming  "  The  Bride's  Welcome." 

Moris  closed  the  door  and  returned  to  her  room. 

As  she  did  so  she  heard  Lady  Betty's  voice  raised  complain- 
ingly,  and  glancing  in  at  the  dressing-room  saw  Josine  stand- 
ing with  the*  hair-brush  in  her  hand  a  little  distance  from  the 
table,  her  face  pale  and  troubled,  while  Lady  Betty  was  hold- 
ing her  head  as  if  she  had  been  suffering  untold  agonies. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?  "  asked  Floris,  gently. 

"  That  is  what  I  should  like  to  know !  "  answered  Lady 
Betty.  "  Here  has  Josine  been  tearing  my  hair  out  by  hand- 
fuls  for  the  last  quarter  of  an  hour !  I  don't  know  what  has 
come  over  her !  She  used  to  be  so  careful ;  and  now — I  declare 
she  seems  half  idiotic !  She  doesn't  hear  one-half  the  words 
I  speak  to  her !  " 

Floris  glanced  at  the  dark  face,  and  met  an  appealing 
pathetic  look  from  the  black  eyes. 

"  Perhaps  Josine  is  not  well/*  she  said,  gently. 

"  Why  doesn't  she  say  so,  then?  "  retorted  Lady  Betty.  "  If 
she  isn't  well  why  doesn't  she  go  and  lie  down  ?  But,  s,he  says 
she  is  quite  well ;  that  there  is  nothing  the  matter  with  her.  I 
have  asked  her  a  dozen  times  in  the  course  of  to-day." 

Josine  glanced  at  Floris,  lowered  her  eyes  and  heaved  a 
deep  sigh. 

"  There !  "  exclaimed  Lady  Betty,  "  that  is  how  she  goes  on! 
If  she  were  not  far  too  wise,  and  too  old  " — the  latter  with  a 
little  vixenish  flash  at  Josine — "  I  should  say  she  was  in  love." 

"  Oh,  miladi ! "  murmured  the  girl,  but  looking  at  Floris 
all  the  time.  k 

"  Well,  then,  if  you  are  not  ill  and  not  in  love,  what  is  thel 
matter  with  you?"  demanded  Lady  Betty,  not  unreasonably. 

"  I  am  truly  sorry,  miladi — " 

"  Sorry !  So  am  I,  and  sore,  too !  "  snapped  Lady  Betty, 
plaintively.  "  There,  try  again,  and  for  goodness'  sake  pay 
some  attention  to  your  work,  or  I  shan't  have  any  hair  left  J* 

Florie  stood  for  a  moment  looking  at  the  girl.. 


122  MY   LADY    riUDE. 

She  seemed  to  have  something  on  JHT  mind,  to  judge  by 
her  pale  face  and  the  anxious  look  in  her  eyes. 

"  Perhaps  she  is  afraid  that  Lord  Norman  will  tell  Lady 
Betty  about  the  letter,  and  her  having  made  her  way  into  the 
conservatory/'  she  thought;  so,  as  she  turned  to  leave  the 
room,  she  said,  to  reassure  her: 

"  Oh,  Josine,  Lord  Norman  found  the  letter  and  gave  it  t© 
Lady  Seymour.  Is  that  what  you  are  uneasy  about  ?  " 

Josine  crimsoned,  then  her  face  went  pale  again. 

"Thank  you,  miss,"  she  said. 

"What  letter  was  that?"  demanded  Lady  Betty. 
"  "A  letter  one  of  the  servants  asked  me  to  -give  to  Lady  Sey- 
mour, miladi,"  said  Josine,  glibly.  * 

"  Hem !  "  snapped  Lady  Betty.  "  Yes,  that  is  the  sort  of 
work  yon  are  best  fitted  for.  I  should  apply  for  the  next 
postman's  situation  that  may  be  vacant." 

Floris  wanted  to  ask  if  that  was  the  lei  tor  Josine  had  last, 
or  if  there  was  another  for  Lady  Betty,  but  thought  that  she 
would  reserve  the  inquiry  for  a  more  fitting  time,  and  went  to 
her  room  and  began  to  dress  herself. 

As  there  was  to  be  a  dance  that  evening,  she  selected  one  of 
her  prettiest  dresses,  and  before  she  had  got  it  on,  Josine 
came  softly  in  to  help  her. 

Floris  had  accepted  her  assistance  once  or  twice  lately,  and 
though  she  had  never  quite  liked  or  believed  in  the  girl,  had, 
from  pure  good  nature,  grown  to  tolerate  her. 

But  this  evening  Josine's  manner  attracted  her  attention 
very  much  and  puzzled  her. 

Every  now  and  then  the  girl  drew  a  long  breath  and  sighed ; 
and  once  or  twice  Floris,  happening  to  glance  up  at  the  glass, 
caught  the  black  eyes  fixed  upon  her  with  an  expression  that 
was  almost  one  of  absolute  pity. 

"  Josine,"  she  said  at  last,  "  I  am  sure  that  yon  are  ill. 
Why  do  you  not  tell  your  mistress  and  ask  her  to  let  you  go 
to  bed  ?  T  will  tell  her  if  you  do  not  like  to.  Go  and  lie  down 
this  evening  and  rest." 

"Thank  yon,  miss;  thank  you,"  Josine  murmured.  "You 
are  always  good  and  kind— 

"  Oh,  nonsence! "  said  Floris,  with  a  little  smile. 

"Ah,  yes,  miss;  but  it  is  always  that  you  are  good  and  kind 
to  me,  while  I — I—" 

She  stopped  and  turned  away,  taking  up  a  neat  dress  and 
carrying  it  t®  the  wajdrobs. 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  123 

"  While  you,  what  ?  "  asked  Floris. 

"No  matter,  miss.  It  is  not  I  who  should  speak/'  said 
Josine,  shutting  her  lips  tightly.  "  No,  it  is  not  I ;  a  servant1 
has  no  business  with  a  heart!  Ah,  no,  she  must  uso  her 
hands  and  eyes,  but  her  heart — ah,  it  is  not  fitting  that  she 
have  one ! " 

"  I  don't  understand  you  in  the  least,  Josine,"  said  Floris, 
half  puzzled  and  half  amused.  "  If  you  are  in  any  trouble, 
why  not  confide  in  Lady  Pendleton  ?  I  am  sure  she  will  help 
you." 

"I!  No,  it  is  not  I;  and  mi'idi  can  not  help.  No  one 
can  help! "  said  Josine,  almost  tragically,  but  with  an  air  of 
quiet  dignity  that  impressed  Floris,  though  *she  tried  to  think 
lightly  of  the  matter,  putting  the  whole  thing  down  as  French 
sentiment. 

"Well,  I  am  sorry  if  you  are  in  trouble,  Josine,"  she  said, 
"eiiher  on  your  own  account  or  on  any  one  else's;  but  yotx 
must  not  make  yourself  ill."' 

"  Thank  you,  miss ! "  responded  Josine,  gratefully,  and  she 
knelt  down  and  arranged  the  folds  of  Floris's  dress  with  a 
careful,  one  would  almost  have  said,  seeing  her,  a  loving 
attention. 

Floris  took  up  her  fan  and  went  down-stairs  with  Lady 
Betty,  and  Josine  stole  on  tiptoe  to  the  door  and  watched 
them  as  they  passed  below  her. 

"  So !  I  am  too  old  to  be  in  love,  miladi,  am  I  ?  "  she  mut- 
tered, between  her  white  teeth.  "  Perhaps,  oh,  yes,  perhaps ! 
But  I  am  not  too  old  to  spoil  the  love-making  of  your  sweet 
Miss  Floris!  I  am  wise  enough,  for  that!  Wait,  miladi! 
Wait,  and  you  shall  see !  " 

Then  she  stole  back  to  the  room,  and  taking  the  ring  Lady 
Blanche  had  given  her,  held  it  to  the  candle-light. 

"  Oh,  you  beauty !  "  she  murmured,  rapturously.  "  You 
beauty !  And  there  are  more  coming  to  keep  you  company ! 
More  and  more!  And  money,  too!  Bah!  what  fools  these 
grand  ladies  are!  And  all  for  love!  I  wonder,  now/'  she 
murmured,  musingly,  "  whether  Miss  Floris  got  an  inkling  of 
my  meaning?  These  English  are  so  dull !  A  Frenchwoman 
would  have  known  in  a  moment  that  I  had  something  to  fell 
her.  But  she!  Oh,  no!  It  was,  '  Josine,  you  must  be  ill !  * 
I  shall  have  to  speak  plainly,  after  all.  Bah!  It  is  as  our 
friend  in  the  wig  says,  '  a  pretty  little  comedy ! J  • 


PRIDE. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  FRENCH   MAID'S   CUNNING. 

ALL  unconscious  of  the  plot  that  was  thickening,  happily 
ignorant  of  the  subtle  net  which  was  weaving  to  insnare  her, 
Floris  went  down  to  dinner  as  happy  and  light-hearted  as  a 
girl  who  has  no  trouble  and  a  handsome  sweetheart  can  be. 

By  some  chance  she  fell  to  the  arm  "of  an  elderly  Scotch 
lord  this  evening,  while  Lady  Blanche  was  consigned  to  Lord 
Norman. 

Ploris  felt  a  little  pang  of  disappointment,  for  she  had,  par- 
haps  unreasonably,  expected  to  have  him  by  her  side  every 
night  at  dinner. 

But  the  disappointment  passed  in  a  few  minutes,  for  the 
old  lord,  delighted  at  having  the  prettiest  woman  in  Ballyfloe 
at  his  side,  made  himself  very  agreeable  and  kept  Floris  very 
much  amused. 

But  for  all  her  amusement  she  found  time  to  glance  at  the 
other  two  now  and  then,  and  when  she  did  so  she  noticed  that 
Lady  Blanche  seemed  more  animated  than  usual,  and  that 
Lord  Norman  appeared  amused  and  entertained  also. 

His  devotion  to  Lady  Blanche,  as  the  busybodies  were  styl- 
ing it,  was  noticed  by  every  one,  and  certainly,  therefore,  did 
not  escape  the  keen  eyes  of  Lady  Betty. 
^  But  Floris,  though  she  missed  him  sorely,  did  not  feel  in- 
jured or  complain;  and  when  Lady  Betty  made  some  remark, 
she  defended  Lady  Blanche  and  championed  Lord  Norman 
quite  heroically. 

"I  don't  see  why  a  girl  should  think  that  she  has  a  right 
to  monopolize  a  man  because  he  happens  to  be  engaged  to 
her/'  she  said,  with  a  little  flush — her  face  had  looked  rather 
pale  and  joyless  all  day — "  there  will  be  plenty  of  monoply 
on  both  sides  after  they  are  married." 

"Ah,  no  doubt,"  said  Lady  Betty,  dryly.  "  But  Blanche 
seems  to  think  that  she  can  monopolize  a  man  because  she  is 
not  engaged  to  him.  I  don't  think  she  has  allowed  Bruce  to 
get  away  from  her  apron-strings  for  more  than  half  an  hour 
to-day — that  is,  during  the  time  he  has  been  at  home;  and  if 
that  isn't  monopoly  I  don't  know  what  is." 

A  few  minutes  afterward  Lord  Norman  eame  up  to  them. 
It  was  nearly  bedtime^  and  th$  drawing-room  was  thinning. 


MY  LADY   PRIDE.  125 

Lady  Blanche  had  just  gone  upstair,  keying  kissed  her 
hand  to  Lady  Betty  and  F  lor  is  as  she  gassed. 

"Well?"   he   said,    dropping   into   a   seat   between   them. 
"Are  you  nearly  tired?     What  a  long  evening  it  seems!     I 
suppose  it  is  after  the  exertion  of  last  night.     Floris,  I  have 
scarcely  had  a  word  with  you  all  day/'  he  added,  wistfully. 
I    Lady  Betty  laughed  sarcastically. 

"Whose  fault  is  that?" 

He  looked  at  her  with  a  half-puzzled  smile. 

"  I  don't  know.  I  don't  seem  to  have  had  a  minute  to  my- 
self, which,  of  course,  means  a  minute  with  Floris.  And  now 
they  have  arranged  to  go  to  Scarfross  to-morrow.  We  shall 
be  away  two  days,  I  am  sorry  to  say." 

"Two  days?"  said  Floris,  with  a  little  moue.  "Why, 
Bruce?" 

"  Too  far  to  get  back  the  same  night,  dearest !  "  he  said. 
"  I  used  to  enjoy  the  expedition  one  time,  but  now,  this 
autumn,  I  would  give  anything  to  stay  at  home.  But  that  is 
impossible,  I  am  sorry  to  say.  The  prince  has  asked  me  es- 
pecially to  go.  Sir  Joseph,  with  his  usual  forethought,  has  ar- 
ranged that  some  of  the  young  fellows  should  remain  and 
take  you  ladies  to  the  cascades  for  to-morrow,  so  that  you 
will  not  miss  us  hunters." 

"  I  don't  think  I  should  care  much  about  the  cascades," 
said  Floris 

She  was  feeling  rather  tired  and  listless,  and  the  news  that 
her  sweetheart  was  going  to  leave  her  for  two  whole  days — 
after  devoting*  himself  for  the  two  previous  ones  to  Lady 
Blanche — dispirited  her. 

"  I  suppose  I  can  stay  here !  " 

(  "I  hope  you  will  go,"  he  said,  quickly,  adding  with  an 
(eagerness  which,  at  the  moment,  she  ascribed  to  his  desire 
that  she  should  be  amused  during  his  absence,  but  which 
.afterward  she  read  in  another  and  sadder  light,  "yes, 
Floris,  do  go !  T  particularly  wish  you  to  go !  Sir  Joseph  has 
planned  this  little  expedition  mainly  on  your  account,  and 
would  be  disappointed  if  you  did  not  go.  Besides,  what  will 
you  do  in  the  house  all  day  if  you  remain  at  home?  Come, 
dearest,  promise  me  that  you  will  go !  " 

"  I  will  go  if  you  wish  it,  Bruce,"  she  said,  dutifully ;  "  thai 
IB,  if  I  do  not  feel  very  much  disinclined,"  with  a  smile. 

He  took  her  hand  and  kissed  it  lovingly. 


126  MY   LADY   ?BIDE. 

" You  will  enjoy  it,  I  am  sure/'  he  said.  "Blanche  is 
going/' 

"  Oh,  then,  1  am  sure  we  shall  enjoy  it !  "  said  Lady  Betty, 
with  fine  sarcasm.  "  I  think  we  had  better  go  up  now,  my 
dear/' 

He  followed  them  into  the  hall  on  his  way  to  the  smoking- 
room,  and,  there  being  no  one  there  but  themselves,  took  her/ 
in  his  arms  and  gave  her  her  "  good-night "  kiss. 

"  We  are  off  early  in  the  morning,  dearest,"  he  said,  "  and1 
I  shall  not  see  you  before  I  go.  Be  happy  while  I  am  away, 
and  I  will  bring  you  a  set  of  antlers  as  a  reward !  " 

Ploris  was  tired  and  despondent ;  a  heavy  weight  seemed  to 
hang  over  her,  and  she  felt  so  depressed  that  she  went  straight 
to  her  own  room  instead  of  going  into  Lady  Betty's  and  talk- 
ing over  the  events  of  the  evening,  as  she  usually  did. 

"  I  must  have  danced  too  much  last  night/'  she  said  to 
herself,  "  and  am  overtired.  I  shall  feel  better  and  brighter 
in  the  morning.  But  I  wish  Bruce  was  not  going  to  be  away 
for  two  whole  days  !  How  1  shall  miss  him !  " 

With  this  thought  and  the  sigh  it  occasioned  she  fell  asleep. 
How  long  she.  had   slept  she  did   not  know;  but  she  was 
awakened  by  that  consciousness,  which  we  have  all  of  us  felt  * 
at  times,  that  some  one  was  in  the  room. 

She  awoke  instantly  and  raised  herself  on  her  elbow,  and 
looked  around. 

A  small  lamp  was  burning  on  the  table,  and  by  its  dim 
light  she  saw  a  woman  kneeling  beside  the  bed. 

It  was  Josine. 

The  girl  had  her  head  in  her  arms,  and  was  apparently  cry- 
ing in  a  subdued,  sudden  kind  of  way. 

Floris  was  too  startled  and  surprised  to  move  for  a  moment, 
then  she  sat  up  and  called  to  her  softly. 

"  Is  that  you,  Josine?"  Josine  raised  her  head,  and  showed 
a  face,  pale  and  tear-bedewed,  and  fixed  her  black  eyes  with  a 
piteous  expression  on  Floris.  "What  is  the  matter?  What 
are  you  doing  here  ?  " 

Josine  dropped  her  head  in  her  hands  again  and  emitted  a 
low  sob. 

"  Oh,  mademoiselle.  T  cannot  sleep !  I  cannot  rest !  "  mur- 
mured Josine,  with  a  little  sob  and  gasp.  "  T  am  so  very  un- 
happy. There  is  something  on  nay  conscience,  something  that 
lies  so  heavy  that  I  cannot  rest  night  or  day.  Ah,  mademoi- 
selle, I  would  tell  you  but  that  I  know  you  would  ruin 


MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

"  I  ruin  you !  What  on  earth  do  you  mean  ?  "  said  Floris. 
"Stop!  I  do  not  wish  to  hear  anything  you  may  have  to 
say—' 

"  Then  mademoiselle  is  lost !  "  exclaimed  Josine,  tragically, 
"and  Lady  Blanche  will  win  the  day." 

Floris  did  not  start  or  wince,  as  Josine  had  expected;  she 
even  smiled. 

"Are  you  quite  out  of  your  mind,  Josine  ?  "  she  then  asked, 
with  calm,  stern  dignity. 

>    "Ah,  mademoiselle  takes  it  as  I  expected!     It  is  hard  to 

^believe  that  a  grand  lady  like  Lady  Blanche  should  descend 

)so  low  as  to  try  and  steal  another  woman's  lover!     That  is 

done  often  enough  by  people  of  a  lower  class — ah,  yes!     Biat 

by  so  grand  a  lady  as  Lady  Blanche — ah,  no,  it  is  impossible*, 

it  is  ridiculous,  is  it  not?  "  sarcastically. 

"  It  is,  indeed !  "  said  Floris,  gravely ;  "  and  if  it  is  only  t$ 
vent  this  piece  of  spiteful  impertinence  you  have  intrudad 
into  my  room  at  this  hour,  Josine — " 

"  Stop,  mademoiselle !  I  am  no  fool !  I  did  not  expect 
you  to  believe  me!  Ah,  3o,  not  even  when  I' said  that  I  was 
in  her  confidence — ' 

"  In  Lady  Blanche's  confidence  ?  " 

"  Yes,  mademoiselle.  It  is  not  uncommon.  I  am  the  us«- 
ful  slave  that  acts  as  go-between  for  her  ladyship  and  milord/' 

"  My  lord !  "said  Floris,  white  to  the  lips  with  anger.  "  Do 
you  dare — " 

"Ah,  but  yes,  mademoiselle ;  I  mean  Milord  Norman !  " 

Floris  stared  at  her  for  a  moment,  then  she  sunk  on  to  a 
chair  and  laughed — actually  laughed. 

Josine  watched  her  sullenly,  but  with  a  close  keenness. 

It  was  hard  to  breed  suspicion  in  that  sweet,  pure  mind,  but 
Josine  did  net  despair. 

She  had  a  strong  suit  to  play,  and  had  not  played  her  best 
cards  yet. 

"Josine,  I  am  now  sure  that  you  are  out  of  your  mind," 
said  Floris,  at  last.  "  Please  go  away  and  let  me  go  to  bed 
and  sleep.  It  is  fortunate  for  you  that  I  have  promised  not 
to  repeat  this  farrago  of  nonsense,  or  you  would  have  received 
,your  dismissal  to-morrow  morning.  As  it  is,  I  must  ask  you 
not  to  approach  or  address  me  again,  unless  it  is  absolutely 
necessary.  Go,  now,  if  you  please." 

Josine  sprung  to  her  feet. 

"Mademoiselle  believes  that  I  lie — that  1  am  deceiving 


\2B  MY   LADY   ERIDE. 

her  ?  Good !  Mademoiselle  shall  see !  Give  me  till  to-morrow 
—no,  to-day,  and  I  will  prove  to  her  that  Lord  Norman  is 
false  to  her!  That  it  is  Lady  Blanche  whom  he  loves  and 
.would  wish  to  make  his  wife !  Yes,  mademoiselle  shall  see, 
shall  hear  for  herself  what  I,  Josine,  already  know.  Mademoi- 
selle thinks  that  I  lie !  Yes,  truly,  and  mademoiselle  would 
tell  me  again  that  I  lie  if  I  say  that  Milord  Norman  and  Lady 
Blanche  are  going  to  elope  this  very  day !  " 

The  blow  was  struck,  and  well  struck,  considering. 

White  to  the  lips,  but  with  an  incredulous  smile,  Floris  rose 
from  her  chair  and  confronted  her. 

"  You  are  either  a  very  wicked  girl,  Josine,  or  you  are 
mad,"  she  said.  "  Do  you  know  what  it  is  that  you  have 
said?" 

"  Yes,  mademoiselle,"  responded  Josine,  sullenly ;  "  and  I 
am  not  mad.  Wicked?  Yes,  I  have  been  wicked,  and  I 
should  be  still,  if  my  conscience  -would  let  me  rest ;  but  it  will 
not.  I  can  not  be  Miladi  Blanche's  slave  any  longer. 

:<  Tell  me  all  you  want  to  tell  me,^nd  then  go !  "  exclaimed 
Floris,  feebly. 

"Mademoiselle  knows  Lord  Norman  goes  out  hunting  to- 
day? In  an  hour  or  more  he  will  have  gone." 

Floris's  lips  formed  a  "  Yes." 

"  Soh !  And  that  the  ladies  are  to  take  an  excursion — an 
expedition  ?  Yes !  Well,  then,  what  if  I  say  Milord  Norman 
will  return — alone — by  himself  at  noon  ?  What  if  I  say  that 
Miladi  Blanche  will  make  an  excuse  and  remain  at  home,  and 
that  they  will  meet  in  the  conservatory  and  fly  together  ?  " 

"  It  is  a  lie !  "panted  Floris. 

"  Soh !  Softly,  mademoiselle !  Proof  is  what  I  offered,  and 
it  is  what  I  will  give.  Suppose,  when  you  are  starting,  you 
find  that  miladi  refuses  to  go — that  she  decides  to  remain  at 
home?  She  has  the  headache,  say?  She  will  stay  in  the 
house,  eh?" 

Floris  rose  up  and  stared  at  the  black  eyes  with  a  wild  fas- 
cination. 

"  Will  that  convince  mademoiselle  ?    Yes,  or  no  ?  " 

"  No !  a  thousand  times  no !  "  exclaimed  Floris.  • 

Josine  shrugged  her  shoulders. 

"Ah,  well,  but  you  are  difficult  to  convince!  Mademoiselle 
is  so  young  and  so  innecent  that  she  cannot  believe  that  others 
not  so  young  and  so  innocent  can  be  so  wicked !  Well,  now, 
what,  if  " — she  lowered  her  voice  and  crept  nearer  to  Floria— =* 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  199 

*  what  If  I  take  mademoiselle  to  the  conservatory,  and  she  see 
and  hear  miladi  and  Lord  Norman —     Ah !  " 

Floris  shuddered. 

"  Not  till  then  would  I  believe  you."  she  said,  trying  to 
speak  undauntedly. 

'  Good !  "  ejaculated  Josine.     "  And  then,  when  mademoi- 
selle sees  with  her  own  eyes  and  hears  with  her  own  ears, 
what  about  it  then  ?  " 
''     She  paused  and  leaned  over  Floris. 

"If  I  show  this  to  mademoiselle,  if  I  convince  her  that 
what  I  have  told  her  at  so  much  cost  to  myself  is  true,  will 
mademoiselle  promise  me  to  utter  no  word,  to  tell  no  one, 
but  to  leave  Ballyfloe  at  once?  If  not,  I  will  do  nothing. 
If  not,  I  am  ruined.  Miladi  Blanche  has  me  in  the  hollow  of 
her  hand,  and  she  must  not  know  that  I  have  betrayed  her. 
If  I  show  mademoiselle  that  I  have  not  lied,  if  I  prove  to  her 
that  I  have  told  her  the  truth,  will  she  leave  Ballyfloe  at 
once?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Floris,  putting  the  hair  from  her  brow,  "  I 
consent.  It  is  wrong,  I  know  it,  I  feel  it,  but — but  I  can  not 
help  it.  I  am  like  a  reed  in  your  hands.  May  Heaven  for- 
give you,  Josine,  if  you  are  deceiving  me !  And  yet,  and  yet, 
would  to  Heaven  that  you  may  be  deceiving  me !  Yes,  if — 
if  what  you  say  is  true,  I  will  promise  to  leave  Ballyfloe  at 
once.  I  will  speak  to  no  one ;  I  will  not  betray  you,  my  poor 
girl." 

A  gleam  of  satisfaction  lit  up  the  black  eyes.     . 

"  I  have  mademoiselle's  promise  that  she  will  not  disclose 
what  I  have  said  to  a  living  soul  ?  "  said  Josine. 
\^    Floris  shook  her  head  with  a  gesture  of  scorn,  and  pointed 
to  the  door. 

"  You  have  my  promise.     I— I  shall  not  break  it.     Go !  " 


CHAPTEE  XVI. 

THE   PROOF. 

IT  was  a  merry  party  at  breakfast  next  morning;  the  trip 
to  the  cascades  was  a  well-known  and  favorite  one,  and  the 
young  men  who  had  been  left  behind  were  delighted  at  the 
opportunity  which  the  absence  of  such  great  guns  as  Lord 


180  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

Bruce,  and  some  of  the  others  who  had  formed  the  hunting 
party,  gave  them  of  scoring  \\rith  the  ladies. 

Floris,  as  she  entered  the  room  in  her  dark-brown  habit, 
was  surrounded  instantly  by  an  eager  circle,  each  man  of 
which  was  anxious  to  get  a  word  from  her. 

But  Floris  could  do  little  more  than  smile  this  morning; 
her  heart  seemed  heavy  as  lead,  strive  though  she  did  to 
rid  of  the  dread  and  suspicion  that  tortured  her. 

Presently,  in  the  midst  of  the  chatter  and  laughter  whicK 
always  seemed  at  its  merriest  at  breakfast-time,  the  tall, 
graceful  figure  of  Lady  Blanche  glided  into  the  room. 

At  sight  of  her  Floris's  heart  gave  a  great  leap  of  relief 
and  satisfaction,  for  Lady  Blanche  was  in  her  riding  habit, 
and  was  evidently  going  to  the  cascades,  therefore  Josine  was 
either  mad  or  had,  for  some  purpose  of  her  own,  lied! 

With  a  good  deal  of  boisterousness  the  young  men  sallied 
out  of  the  breakfast-room  to  the  stables  to  see  after  the  horses, 
as  they  said,  but  in  reality  to  ^et  a  chance  to  smoke  the  morn- 
ing cigar. 

Floris  and  Lady  Betty  went  upstairs  to  put  their  hats  and 
gloves  on,  and  Josine  was  nowhere  to  be  found. 

At  that  moment  Josine  was  in  Lady  Blanche's  room,  stand- 
ing with  demure  eyes  and  clasped  hands  before  her  ladyship. 

"All  is  prepared,  miladi,"  she  said,  in  a  low  voice.  ."It 
was  a  great  trouble,  and  at  one  time  I  thought  I  should  have 
to  give  it  up  in  despair.  It  was  so  hard  to  convince  made-* 
moiselle  that  milord  could  be  faithless.  He  is  always  so  de- 
voted to  her,  as  all  the  world  knows.  Ah,  yes !  it  was  hard/' 

Lady  Blanche  colored,  as  a  pang  of  jealousy  ran  through 
her. 

"  That  will  do,"  she  said.     "  And— and  the  time  ?  " 

"  Just  after  lunch,  miladi,"  said  Josine,  thoughtfully. 
"  There  will  be  nobody  at  home ;  the  house  will  be  quite  clear 
for  the  little  '  comedy/  as  Mr.  Raymond  calls  it ! "  and  she 
showed   her   white   teeth.     "The   end   of   the   conservatory, 
miladi?" 

Lady  Blanche  nodded ;  then,  with  a  sudden  pallor  and  with 
downcast  eyes,  she  said : 

"And  you  are  sure  that  she  will  not  reveal  what  passes  ?  " 

"  T  am  convinced !  "  responded  Josine,  eagerly.  "  Miladi 
may  rely  on  it  that  nothing  in  this  world  will  induce  her  to 
®pen  her  lips!  She  is  too  proud,  ah,  far  too  proud;  rely  an 
that,  mikdi." 


MY   LADY  ^  PRIDE.  Ml 

Lady  Blanche  dismissed  her  with  a  nod,  then  summoned 
her  own  maid. 

"  I  shall  not  go  out  this  morning,"  she  said,  quietly. 
"  Please  take  off  this  habit  and  give  me  a  morning  gown. 
When  you  have  done  so,  take  my  love  to  Lady  Betty,  and  tell 
her  that  I  have  received  an  important  letter  from  Lord  Sey- 
mour, which  I  must  answer.  You  need  not  go  until  the  last 
moment." 

On  the  way  to  her  mistress's  room,  Josine  met  a  footman 
with  a  telegram  on  a  salver. 

"  Here  you  are,  Miss  Josine,"  he  said.  "A  telegram  for 
your  young  lady/' 

Josine  took  it  and  glanced  at  the  direction.  It  was  ad-v 
dressed  to  Moris. 

"  Miss  Carlisle  is  no  young  lady  of  mine !  "  she  said,  show- 
ing her  teeth,  with  a  spiteful  smile.  "  But  I  will  take  it  to 
her  and  save  your  long  legs/'  and  with  a  saucy  smile  she  ran 
past  him. 

Outside  the  door  she  paused,  with  the  telegram  in  her 
hand. 

"  What  is  this  now  ?  "  she  muttered.  "  Something  that 
may  spoil  our  little  play,  perhaps !  A  plague  on  it.  Shall  I 
give  it  to  her  at  once  ?  No !  Josine  must  see  it  first,  at  any 
rate !  It  will  keep,  no  doubt !  "  and  she  thrust  it  in  her  pocket. 

Then  she  opened  the  door,  and  met  Lady  Betty's  inquiry  as 
to  where  she  had  been  with  a  profuse  apology. 

"  Josine,  we  shall  have  to  part/'  said  Lady  Betty.  "  Oh, 
don't  trouble  now!  I  have  finished,  you  tiresome  girl!  You 
know  I  can  never  put  rny  veil  on  properly !  No,  you  shall 
not  touch  it !  Go  and  see  if  Miss  Carlisle  wants  you." 

Josine  went  into  the  adjoining  room.  Floris  Was  standing 
before  the  glass  with  her  hat  in  her  hand,  and  she  shrunk 
back  as  the  girl  approached 

a  Mademoiselle  will  not  go  ?  "  murmured  Josine. 

"  Yes !  "  said  Floris,  in  a  low,  stern  voice.  "  I  do  not  be° 
lieve  a  word  of  what  you  told  me  last  night.  You  are  a 
wicked  girl,  Josine !  " 

"Ah!  we  shall  see!"  muttered  Josine,  bending  her  head. 
"  Mademoiselle  will  wait  a  moment  ?  Listen !  "  she  added,  as 
Lady  Blanche's  rnaid  entered  the  next  room. 

The  next  instant  Lady  Betty  called  out : 

"•Floris!  Blanche  has  sent  to  say  that  she  is  not  going! 
She  has  some  letters  to  write !  " 


182  MY   LADY   PRIBE. 

Floris  turned  deathly  pale,  and  caught  the  edge  of  the 
table. 

Josine  smiled  triumph antly,  then  went  into  Lady  Betty's 
room,  with  her  cat-like  step. 

"Miss  Carlisle  has  a  headache,  miladi.  A  bad  headache! 
I  do  not  think,  if  miladi  will  pardon  me,  that  mademoiselle 
ought  to  go  for  so  long  a  ride  in  the  hot  sun." 

Lady  Betty  came  into  Floris's  room  at  once. 
,    "  What  is  the  matter,  dear  ?     Why,  how  pale  you  look ! y> 
with  anxious  concern.     Are  you  ill  ?  " 

Floris  could  scarcely  speak  for  a  moment. 

"  I — I  have  a  bad  headache,"  sh&  said,  and  truthfully 
enough.  "  I  do  not  think  I  will  go." 

"No,  don't,"  said  Lady  Betty,  "I  thought  you  didn't 
look  well  this  morning.  No,  you  shall  stay  at  home,  and  I 
will  stay  and  sit  by  you." 

"  No,  no !  "  said  Floris..  "  Please  do  not — there  is  no  occa- 
sion. I  would  rather  you  did  not !  "  with  a  feverish  flush.  "  1 
— I  shall  get  some  sleep,  perhaps.  I  w5.ll  not  stay  unless  you 
go!" 

Lady  Betty  hesitated,  and  Josine  stood  watching  them 
both. 

"  Mademoiselle  will  be  better  to  be  quiet  and  alone,"  she 
said,  softly. 

"  Do  you  think  so,  dear  ?  Well,  if  yrrh  would  rather  I 
went- 

"  I  would  much  rather,"  faltered  Floris. 

"Let  me  get  you  a  draught  before  I  go  then,"  said  Lady 
Betty,  anxiously;  and  she  went  and  mixed  a  draught  from  her 
medicine  chest.  "There,  dear,  take  that;  and  now  lie  down 
vand  get  some  sleep.  Josine,  get  Miss  Carlisle's  dressing- 
'gown,  and  cover  her 'up  well.  I  am  so  sorry,  dear!  I  shan't 
enjoy  myself  one  bit;  I  shall  bo  thinking  of  you  al?  the  day." 

"Do  not  think  of  me,"  said  Floris,  with  a  sigh,  as  she 
sunk  on  the  bed.  Then,  with  a  sudden  impulse,  she  put  up 
her  arms  and  twined  them  around  Lady  Betty's  neck. 

"  Good-by,"  she  murmured. 

Floris  was  usually  so  undemonstrative,  that  Lady  Betty 
was  touched  by  the  simple  caress. 

"  Good-by,  my  dear,"  she  said,  kissing  her.  "  Mind,  you 
are  to  sleep  for  quite  two  hours,  and  you  are  not  to  go  into 
the  sun.  I  shall  expect  to  see  you  quite  yourself  when  I  come 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  133 

And,  with  a  strange  reluctance,  that  she  remembered  after- 
ward, she  left  her. 

Cosine  stood  looking  down  at  Florists  pale  face  in  silence 
for  a  moment,  then  she  bent  down  and  whispered: 

"  Keep  a  good  heart,  mademoiselle.  Ah,  but  no  man  in  the 
world  is  worth  a  heartache,  after  all !  " 

Flpris  looked  at  her  with  a  mixture  .of  repugnance  and 
fascination.  -, 

"  Mademoiselle  will  remain  here  until  I  come  for  her,"  said 
Josine,  significantly.  "And  let  mademoiselle  console  herself 
that  it  is  better  to  be  undeceived  than  fooled  to  the  top  of 
one's  bent." 

And  with  this  piece  of  worldly  wisdom  and  comfort  she 
went  out. 

Eeaching  her  own  room,  she  locked  the  door,  and  took  the 
telegram  from  her  pocket.  For  some  minutes  she  looked  at 
the  mean  and  miserable  envelope  which  the  post  office  au- 
thorities deem  a  sufficient  covering  for  so  important  a  missive 
as  a  telegram,  bending  it  this  way  and  that  in  the  endeavor  to 
decipher  some  words  of  the  contents. 

But  the  pink  paper  was  folded  inward,  and  with  a  gesture 
of  impatience,  she  went  down-stairs  and  got  a  jug  of  hot 
water. 

Then,  with  the  patience  of  a  red  Indian,  she  held  the  "envel- 
ope over  the  steam,  until  the  warmed  part  had  become  moist 
enough  to  allow  her  to  open  the  envelope. 

With  a  smile  of  satisfaction,  she  drew  out  the  telegram  and 
read  it. 

,  And  as  she  read  it,  her  face  went  pale  and  grave,  and  her 
hani  shook  till  the  thin  paper  trembled  like  a  leaf. 

"  What  shall  I  do  ?  "  she  murmured .  "  It  is  fortunate  or 
unfortunate,  as  I  choose  to  make  it.  If  I  give  it  to  her  now 
it  will  spoil  all ;  and  yet  it  is  hard  to  keep  it,"  glancing  at  the 
scrawl  with  hard,  glittering  eyes.  "  Bah !  I  will  not  give  it 
to  her  until  afterward.  It  will  be  time  enough;  ah,  yes,  it 
will  be  time  enough ! "  and  carefully  re-closing  the  envelope, 
she  put  it  back  in  her  pocket. 

The  morning  passed.  \ 

How,  Floris,  lying  with  a  heart  torn  asunder  by  conflicting 
emotions,  scarcely  knew.  All  seemed  still  in  the  great  house. 
Not  one  of  the  guests  excepting  herself  and  Lady  Blanche, 
had  remained  a,t  home;  a  stillness  like  that  of  a  calm  before 
some  dreadful  storm  seemed  to  lie  upon  the  place;  and  the 


134:  MY   LADY    PRIDE. 

pitiless  sun  that  streamed  through  the  blinds  fell  upon  hei? 
face  with  a  mocking  mercilessness. 

At  last,  when  she  could  lie  still  no  longer,,  she  got  up  and 
put  on  a  morning  dress,,  and  paced  the  room. 

The  great  clock  chimed  the  hour  of  two,  and  as  its  echo 
reverberated  through  the  huge  place,  the  door  was  opened 
softly,  and  Josine  entered. 

She  seemed  in  a  state  of  suppressed  excitement,  her  thin 
lips  set  tightly  together,  her  black,  beady  eyes  gleaming  like 
coals. 

"  Hush !  "  she  whispered,  huskily,  and  putting  up  a  warn- 
ing finger,  for  Floris  seemed  about  to  cry  out/  "  Do  not 
speak,  mademoiselle,  but  come  with  me.  She  has  gone- down- 
stairs, and  he  will  be  here  presently/' 

Josine  stole  down  the  stairs,  and  Floris  following  her,  in 
the  same  half -torpid  state,  found  herself  in  a  small  hall  out- 
side the  conservatory. 

She  recognized  it  at  once  as  the  spot  in  which  she  and  Lord 
Norman  had  discovered  Josine  hiding.  Another  coincidence ! 

Drawing  close  to  her,  Josine  put  her  finger  to  her  lips. 

"  Hush,  mademoiselle !  Not  a  word !  And  remember  your 
promise !  Whatever  you  see  you  will  not  betray  yourself — or 
me!" 

Floris  made  a  gesture  of  assent,  and  Josine,  unlocking  a 
door  quietly  and  stealthily,  crossed  the  conservatory,  and 
drawing  Floris  into  a  corner,  behind  the  shrubs,  pointed  to  a 
small  room,  which  led  to  the  conservatory,-  and  was  draped 
.at  the  opening  by  curtains,  partly  drawn  aside  and  looped  up. 

Floris,  with  the  deepest  repugnance — which  would  have 
been  unendurable  but  that  she  believed  the  whole  thing  to  be 
a  farce — looked  through  the  opening,  and  saw  Lady  Blanche 
standing  beside  a  small  table. 

There  was  a  basket  of  flowers  on  the  table,  and  Lady 
Blanche  was  making  a  faint  pretense  of  arranging  them,  but 
her  whole  attitude  was  eloquent  of  impatience  and  deep- 
Tooted  anxiety. 

1     At  the  sight  of  her  Moris  drew  back  with  a  long  breath  of 
fear  and  doubt, 

At  every  step, Josine  was  making  good  her  words,  was  pro- 
ducing evidence  of  the  truth  of  her  story. 

e  Is  mademoiselle  satisfied  so  far?  "  she  whispered,  close  in 
MonVs  ear.  "  Here  is  Lady  Blanche,  as  I  promised  she 
would  be,  waiting — waiting  for  whom  ?  We  shall  see !  Hush !" 


MY    LADY    PRIDE.  13$ 

AB  she  spoke  Floria  heard  a  man's  footstep  approaching  th« 
room  from  the  other  side. 

Her  heart  gave  -a  great  bound  of  dread  and  doubt,  flien 
seemed  to  stand  still,  for  the  door  opened  and  Lord  .Vor- 
man,  as  she  thought,  entered  hurriedly  and  went  up  to  L  »dy 
Blanche. 

Floris  uttered  a  cry:  for  a  moment  she  did  not  move,  she 
simply  stood  as  if  turned  to  stone,  and  gazed  into  the  dusky 
room.  Then  she  staggered  and  would  have  fallen,  but  Josine 
caught  her  with  one  hand,  and  with  the  other,  with  all  a 
Frenchwoman's  ready  wit,  dashed  her  handkershief  in  a 
fountain  and  held  it  to  Floris's  forehead. 

As  he  entered,  Lady  Blanche  started  and  turned  toward 
him, 

"  Have  you  come  back  ?  Oh,  why  did  you  ? "  she  mur- 
mured, and  her  voice  was  so  low  and  tremulous  that  Floris 
could  scarcely  catch  it. 

"  Yes,  I  have  come  back  ?  "  she  heard  him  say,  huskily,  as  if 
he  were  laboring  under  great  excitement.  "  I  said  that  I 
would  do  so.  Why  are  you  so  surprised  to  see  me?  Did  you 
think  I  should  break  my  word,  Blanche  ?  " 

"  I  hoped  you  would  not  come/'  she  faltered. 

"And  you  are  not  glad  to  see  me?  Ah,  Blanche,  you  will 
not  fail  me!  Think  of  all  I  am  risking  for  your  sake:  my 
good  name  and  fame,  my  very  honor !  Come,  Blanche,  tell 
me  that  you  are  steadfast!  "  and  he  put* his  hand  on  her  ar«a 
pleadingly. 

Lady  Blanche  shrunk  slightly.  Floris  noticed  it  with  a 
vague  wonder. 

"  Blanche !  dear  Blanche !  there  is  no  time  to  lose !  "  he  went 
on,  still  in  the  husky  voice  which  Floris  scarcely  recognized 
as  Bruce's.  "  The  horses  are  waiting ;  all  is  arranged !  Why 
are  you  not  ready?  You  promised  me  that  you  would  be 
ready  to  start !" 

"  Bruce,  I  can  not ! "  she  panted,  with  a  sudden  gesture  of 
despair.  "  I  can  not  do  it.  You  ask  too  much.  Oh,  Bruce ! 
.Think  what  all  this  means !  Think  of  the  scandal,  and — and 
'think  of  her !  Poor  girl !  mv — my  heart  bleeds  for  her !  No, 
Bruce,  I  can  not  do  it.  I  love  you,  and  you  know  it;  but 
you  ask  too  much!  You  must  marry  Floris  Carlisle,  Bruce! 
It  is  too  late  to  L^W  back  now!  " 

'"  Too  late !  "  he  echoed.  "  It  is  not  too  late.  You  speak 
9nly  of  yourself  and  her.  You  do  not  think  of  me.  Do  you 


136  MY    LADY   PRISE. 

forget  that  you  are  bidding  me  ruin  my  whole  life;  that  you 
are  sending  me  to  marry  a  girl  I  do  not  love,  whom  I  shall 
learn  to  hate?  Come,  Blanche,  I  can  not  endure  this  life  of 
deceit  any  longer !  There  must  be  an  end  to  it  sooner  or  later, 
and  this  is  the  best  end.  The  world  may  talk — let  it!  You 
and  I  don't  care  for  the  world ;  and  as  to  Floris,  she  will  soon 
learn  to  forget  me.  Heaven  may  send  her  a  better  man;  it 
might  do  that  easily  enough,  goodness  knows !  Come, 
Blanche,  get  your  things,  everything  is  ready." 

"  "No,  no,  no !  "  she  panted.  "  I  will  not,  I  can  not !  Go 
back,  Bruce;  go  back  and  rejoin  the  party;  make  any  excuse 
you  like  for  your  absence !  I  will  not  go  with  you.  I  can 
not!  I  was  wrong  and  wicked  to  promise!  But,  thank 
Heaven,  it  is  not  too  late !  Go  back,  Bruce !  We — we — shall 
always  be  friends.  You — you  will  be  happy  with  her,  poor 
girl— » 

"  Is  this  your  last  word  ?  "  he  demanded,  drawing  back  and 
looking  at  her,  his  face  still  turned  from  Floris. 

"Yes,  my  last,  Bruce,"  faltered  Lady  Blanche. 

He  stood  for  a  moment  as  if  pondering  on  some  way  to 
shake  her  resolution;  then  suddenly  Lady  Blanche  seized  his 
arm. 

"  Bruce !  There  is  some  one  coming !  Go — go  at  once !  If 
the  servants  see  you  here — " 

With  a  smothered  oath  the  man  who  was  so  like  Lord  Nor- 
man that  even  Floris  could  not  in  the  dim  light  distinguish 
between  them,  seized  his  hat  and  whip  and  strode  from  the 
room ;  and  Lady  Blanche,  almost  as  if  she  had  suddenly  grown 
suspicious  of  listeners,  glided  to  the  curtains  and  let  them  fall 
Wer  the  opening. 

The  little  comedy — or  tragedy — was  over. 


CHAPTEE  XVII. 

FALSE ! 

WITH  slow,  weary  steps  Floris  made  her  way  to  her  rooni^ 
Josine  following  her,  and  sunk  exhausted  upon  the  bed. 

That  there  had  been  any  foul  play  she  never  suspected  for 
a  moment.  The  resemblance  between  Oscar  Eaymond  and 
Lord  Nornitii  was  so  close  that  it  had  deceived  many  of  Lord 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  137 

mtixnate  friend*  m  broad  daylight,  and  the  room  in 
which  the  little  comedy  had  been  enacted  was  but  dimly 
lighted. 

"  Will  mademoiselle  permit  me  to  get  her  a  glass  of  wine  T' 
Josine  inquired,  in  a  low  voic^ 

Floris  shook  her  head. 

"  How  soon — can  I  leave  ?  "  she  asked,  painfully. 

Josine  pricked  up  her  ears,  and  glanced  at  the  clock. 

"  There  is  the  afternoon  mail,"  she  said.  "  But  will  not 
mademoiselle  wait  and  see  Lady  Pendleton?" 

"No,  no !  "  responded  Floris,  with  a  shudder.  "  I  wish  to 
see  no  one.  I  wish  to  go  before  they  return — at  once !  Will 
you  " — she  hesitated ;  she  hated  asking  this  girl  to  do  anything 
for  her,  for  she  loathed  her  with  a  loathing  that  was  unac- 
countable to  her — "  will  you  see  if  I  can  do  so?  " 

Josine  stole  out  of  the  room  and  went  swiftly  to  Lady 
Blanche's,  and  with  a  slight  knock  she  entered. 

Lady  Blanche  was  seated  at  her  table  with  her  proud  head 
bowed  in  her  hands. 

Hearing  Josine's  step  she  started  and  rose  up,  facing  her 
with  angry  indignation. 

"  How  dare  you  come  here — "  she  began,  then  her  voice 
failed  and  her  eyes  drooped  before  the  cool,  black  ones-' 
"  Well  ?  "  she  asked,  gloomily. 

Josine  smiled  and  shrugged  her  shoulders. 

"  It  is  all  right,  miladi ;  we  have  succeeded  capitally.  Ah, 
but  miladi  should  have  been  an  actress !  She  almost  deceived 
Josine,  much  less  the  poor  Miss  Carlisle." 

Floris,  left  alone,  sat  for  some  minutes  in  the  same  half- 
stupefied  condition.  At  present  she  could  scarcely  grasp 
all  that  had  happened ;  but  with  every  minute  it  was  growing 
upon  her,  and  she  was  learning  to  realize  that  her  lover,  the 
•man  she  had  loved — alas !  still  loved — had  adored,  had  looked 
up  to  as  something  more  than  human — was  false,  unutterably 
false  and  base,  -and  that  he  had  been  guilty  of  treachery  so 
vile  as  to  be  almost  inconceivable. 

Like  a  lost  soul  thrust  from  paradise,  she  groped  in  the 
darkness  of  her  misery,  and  could  see  no  ray  of  light  or  hope; 
all  her  future  lay  dark,  dark  before  her. 

"  If  I  could  die  now/'  she  murmured- — "  if  I  had  died  last 
Blight,  before  I  knew  of  this !  But  no,  I  shall  not  die ;  I  shall 
live  and  suffer — suffer!  There  will  be  no  forgetfulness  for 
Hie;  all  my  life  I  shall  carry  this  sorrow  with  ine;  all  my  life 


MY   LADY  rm  I»K. 


wltU  be  ieabitl^red  witja  the  lawpftry  of  tteae  ii^w  short,, 
weeks  !  On,  Bruce  !  ifruce  !  if  you  had  btit  left  ira  al 
you  had  but  had  mercy  on  me  !  But  you  had  none.  Heaven 
'•knows  I  avoided  };ou.  I  did  not,  as  other  women  had  done, 
set  a  snare  for  your  love.  A  hundred  times  I  fought  against 
it;  but  you  had  no  mercy;  you  taught  me  to  love  you,  and 
now(  it  is  too  late  to  unlearn  that  lesson.  Oh,  Bruce,  may, 
Heaven  forgive  you  —  may  Heaven  deal  more  kindly  with  you 
than  you  have  dealt  with  me  !  " 

And  with  this  prayer  in  her  wounded  heart,  she  rose,  and 
in  dull,  numbed  fashion,  began  mechanically  to  collect  her 
clothes. 

A  few  minutes  afterward  Josine  came  in. 

"Ah,  that  is  better  !  "  she  said,  encouragingly.  "  Mademoi- 
selle is  recovering  !  Soh,  soh  !  But  mademoiselle  must  rest  — 
Josine  will  see  to  the  packing  for  her." 

And,  with  noiseless  readiness,  she  began  to  fill  the  large 
imperial. 

Moris  sunk  on  to  the  bed  and  watched  her  with  listless 
apathy. 

"  There  !  "  said  Josine,  with  a  gesture  of  satisfaction.  "All 
is  ready  !  And  now  "  —  she  left  the  room  and  returned  almost 
immediately  with  a  glass  of  wine  —  "  mademoiselle  must  drink 
this,  just  to  please  poor  Josine  !  "  she  pleaded,  as  Floris  re- 
fused it  with  a  shake  of  the  head.  "  Ah,  but  jes;  mademoi- 
selle must  not  count  too  much  on  her  strength!  Supposing 
she  should  break  down  and  have^to  be  carried  back!  Ah,  but 
that  would  be  dreadful!  " 

Floris  stretched  out  her  hand  for  the  -glass  with  a  shudder. 

Josine  watched  her  as  she  drank  the  wine  and  then,  and 
not  till  then,  drew  the  telegram  from  her  pocket. 

"  See,  mademoiselle  !  "  she  said,  smoothly.  "  This  has  just 
come;  I  hope  it  is  not  bad  news!  " 

Floris  took  it  apathetically,  and  opened  it,  then  started  up 
with  a  wild  cry. 

"Heavens,  mademoiselle!  What  is  it?"  exclaimed  Josine, 
with  admirably  feigned  anxiety. 

"  My  mother  !  "  gasped  poor  Floris.  "  My  mother  is  ill—  ^ 
dying  —  quick  !  I  must  go  at  once  !  " 

Josine  held  up  her  hands,  with  a  French  oath,  and  hurried 
forward  with  Floris'  s  jacket  and  hat. 

"  Tut  !  tut  !  but  that  is  bad  news  !    But  It  may  not  be  that 


MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

thje  poor  lady  is  dying.  Oh,  mademoiselle  naafres  too  Bdmch  of 
it ;  sne  se$&  the  tf  oret !  " 

"  Read !  "  panted  Floris.  "  It  says  '  Come  at  onoe ! '  Cora* 
at  once,  and  I  am  hundreds  of  miles  away!  Oh,  Heaven! 
what  shall  I  do?  What  shall  1  do?  Quick,  or  I  shall  go 
mad ! " 

"Yes,  yes!"  exclaimed  Josine,  genuinely  anxious,  for  she 
dreaded  lest  some  one  should  return,  and  a  "  scene  "  be  the  re- 
sult. "Yes,  yes!  but  for  the  love  of  Heaven,  be  calm, 
mademoiselle !  It  may  not  be  so  bad ;  and  think,  it  was 
impossible  for  mademoiselle  to  leave  earlier!  Ah,  but  I  am 
so  sorry!" 

Floris  scarcely  heard  her.  With  feverish  eagerness  she 
hurried  on  her  things,  and  made  straight  for  the  door. 

Josine  caught  up  her  cloak  and  bonnet,  which  she  had 
brought  in  with  her. 

"And  Lady  Pendleton — the  message  ?  " 

"  Give  her  this !  "  panted  poor  Floris,  throwing  the  tele- 
gram on  the  table.  "  Tell  her — I  will  write."  And  almost 
like  one  distraught,  she  made  her  way  into  the  hall. 

The  footmen  and  hall  porter  stared  at  her  white  face,  and 
hurried  to  the  .door,  Josine  finding  time,  ,as  she  followed,  to 
whisper : 

"  Bad  news.     Mademoiselle  is  summoned  home !  " 

The  brougham  door  was  shut  with  a  bang  and  the  pair  of 
horses  dashed  toward  the  station. 

Floris  shrunk  into  a  corner  and  sat  with  clasped  hands  and 
closed  eyes,  and  Josine  was  too  wise  to  litter  a  word. 

Presently  the  train  came  ur>.  It  was  an  express  from  the 
far  north,  and  several  passengers  got  out  to  stretch  their  legs 
for  a  moment  or  two. 

Jesine  had  taken  a  first-class  ticket  and  found  an  empty 
compartment. 

Floris  got  in,  and  would  have  gone  without  a  word,  but 
Josine  leaned  forward  and  said,  with  a  quiver  in  her  voice, 
which  might  have  been  due  to  remorse,  but  was  more  probably 
caused  by  excitement: 

"  Good-by,  mademoiselle !  You — you — will  not  forget  your 
promise  to  poor  Josine?" 

Floris  looked  at  her  vaguely,  then  she  shook  her  head  and 
turned  away. 

"  I  will  not  forget.     No !  "  she  said. 


44$  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

The  guard  blew  his  whistle,  and  Josine  stepped  back. 

As  she  did  so  a  gentleman  rushed  out  of  the  station  with  a 
sandwich  in  his  hand,  and  had  almost  passed  Josine  on  his 
way  to  his  carriage,  when  he  saw  her  stopped  short. 
1     "  Josine  !  "  he  exclaimed.     "  Is  that  you  ?  " 

Josine — her  nerves  were  getting  unstrung — uttered  a  cry. 

"  Milord   Clifforde !  "  she  cried,  turning  pale. 

"  Time's  up,  my  lord ! "  said  the  guard,  who  knew  Bertie 
•Well. 

"  All  right/'  he  said ;  "  one  moment." 

Then  he  turned  to  Josine. 

"Are  you  going  up  to  town?    You  had  better  get  in." 

"  No,  no !  It  is  mademoiselle !  "  returned  Josine,  with  agi- 
tation. 

"  Mademoiselle  ?  "  he  repeated.  "  Who  ?  "  and  he  went  to 
the  window  and  there  saw  Floris. 

With  a  sudden  pallor  he  looked  from  her  to  Josine. 

"  It  is  Miss  Carlisle ! "  he  said.  "And  she  is  going  up  to 
London  alone ! " 

"  We  really  must  be  starting,  my  lord !  "  said  the  guard 
coming  up  again. 

"Yes,  yes!"  said  Josine,  hurriedly.     "Alone,  milord !" 

"Why?"  he  demanded,  with  a  troubled  frown. 

Josine  bit  her  lip. 

"  Go,  milord !  "  she  said.  "  The  train  will  start  without 
you/' 

He  opened  the  door  of  Floris's  carriage,  nodded  to  the 
guard,  and  as  the  train  started,  jumped  in. 

Josine  stood  looking  after  the  train  with  a  bewildered  stare 
for  quite  a  minute.  Then  a  curious  expression  gradually 
crept  into  her  black  eyes.  An  idea  was  developing  itself  in 
her  acute  brain. 

^     Floris  and  Lord  Clifforde,  who  had  been  her  lover,  leaving 
'feallyfloe  together !    Surely  that  fact  would  fit  into  the  plot. 

With  a  smile  on  her  lips  she  nodded  approvingly,  then 
famed  and  slowly  went  back  to  the  brougham. 

But  she  paused  there,  and  returned  to  the  station  and  ac- 
costed the  sleepy  porter. 

"  Did  you  see  that  gentleman  who  accompanied  the  young 
lady  who  departed  just  now,  sir?"  she  asked  with  smooth' 
politeness. 

The  man  stared  at  her.     Oh,  yes,  he  had  seen  him. 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  141 

"Well,  that  was  a  great  personage,  sir.     It  was  Milord 
Clifforde,"  said  Josine,  with  an  air  of  importance. 

"  Oh,  was  it  ?  "  said  the  man,  grimly.     "  Well,  lord  or  no 
lord,  he  hadn't  any  business  to  keep  the  train  waiting." 

"  Certainly  not !  "  said  Josine.     "  Good-morning,  sir." 

Then  she  returned  to  the  brougham. 

"'-ParSfatt'l "   she  murmured.     "It  is   likely   that  Milord 
Norman  will  not  believe  poor  Josine.     Soh !     My  friend  the. 
porter  will  bear  witness  that  Miss   Carlisle  went  off  with 
Milord  Clifforde !    Bah !   but  Miladi  Blanche  is  not  so  clever  v 
as  I  think  her  if  she  cannot  make  something  of  that !  "  \ 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

AN    IRREPARABLE    WRONG. 

FLORIS'  looked  up  as  Bertie  entered  the  carriage. 

"  Lord  Clifforde !  "  she  said,  faintly. 

"  Miss  Carlisle !  "  he  responded ;  and  the  two  looked  at  eacli 
other  in  silence  for  a  moment. 

The  shock  of  the  meeting  had  considerably  moved  Bertie, 
and  he  scarcely  knew  what  to  say. 

He  had  thought  of  her  every  day  since  the  night  he  had 
told  her  of  his  love  and  received  his  dismissal;  she  was,  in 
fact,  scarcely  ever  out  of  his  mind. 

"Are  you  going  south — to  London ?"  he 'asked,  as  care- 
lessly as  he  could.  "  I  am  so  surprised  at  seeing  you  that  I 
can  scarcely  realize  that  it  is  indeed  you ! "  he  added,  ingen- 
uously. 

:( Yes,  I  am  going  to  London,"  she  answered,  wearily. 

"  I — I  hope  on  no  sad  errand !"  he  said,  very  gently.  "You 
look  ill  and  tired — " 

"I  am  both  ill  and  tired/'  she  said,  trying  to  smile,  and  so 
bringing  the  tears  to  her  eyes.      "I  have  a  telegram  saying; 
that  my  mother  is  dying,  Lord  Clifforde." 

He  did  not  say  that  he  was  sorry;  his  face,  his  eyes,  said 
that  sufficiently  plainly,  but  he  looked  at  his  watch. 

"I  am  glad  that  this  is  the  express,"  he  said.  "We  shall 
be  there  early  in  the  morning.  I  hope  that  you  will  find 
Mrs,  Carlisle  better  than  you  expect," 


MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

Florist  lips  moved  in  an  inaudible  "  Thank  you ! "  and  §h* 
let  her  head  sink  back  on  the  cushion, 

Bertie  got  up  and  dj*ew  the  window  curtain,  dragged  his 
own  foot- warmer  forward  for  her,  and  carefully  arranged  his 
rugs  over  her. 

"  You  must  let  me  make  you  as  comfortable  as  I  can/'  he 
said,  apologetically.     "  It  is  not  much  one  can  do  to  get  com- 
fortable in  a  railway  carriage,  unfortunately." 
|    "  Thank  you !  "  said  poor  Floris,  faintly,  finding  her  voice. 
^Are  you  going  to  London  ?  "  she  asked. 

u  Yes,  through  London,"  he  answered,  his  frank,  blue  eyes 
stealing  an  anxious  glance  at  the  pale  face.  "  I  can  not  tell 
you  how  glad  I  am  that  I  should  happen  to  be  tfaveling  by 
this  train.  I  did  not  know  I  was  coming  till  the  last  mo- 
ment." 

"No?"  she  said. 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment.  The  one  question  haunted 
and  worried  him :  why  was  she  traveling  alone  ?  Even  at  the 
cost  of  wearying,  perhaps  harassing  her,  he  must  know. 

"  You  have  been  staying  at  Ballyfloe  ?  "  he  asked,  gently. 

"  Yes,"  said  Floris,  her  eyes  fixed  on  the  rug,  her  hands 
clasped  tightly. 

She  knew  what  was  passing  in  his  mind  and  the  question 
that  was  coming,  and  she  dreaded  it  as  the  wounded  man 
dreads  the  surgeon's  probing  knife. 

"  With  the  Lynches,  of  course  ?  "  said  Bertie.  "  I  remem- 
ber reading  your  name  among  the  list  of  visitors  in  the  pa- 
pers." 

"  Yes,"  she  said. 

"  Is — is  Bruce  there  still  ?  But,  of  course,  he  is  not,  or  you 
would  not  be  alone.  I  read  of  your — your  engagement,  Miss 
Carlisle,"  he  added,  hurriedly,  and  with  a  sudden  flush  on  his 
handsome  face,  that  was  rather  paler  than  of  old. 

Floris  winced. 

"  Lord  Norman  is  still  at.  Ballyfloe,"  she  replied,  in  a  low 
voice. 

Bertie  stared,  crimsoned,  and  turned  pale. 

Bruce  at  Ballyfloe,  and  permits  her  to  take  this  long  jour- 
ney in  the  train  alone? 

"Is  he?"  he  said.  "Why  didn't  be— I  beg  your  pardon! 
Please  do  not  be  angry  or  think  me  impertinent." 

"  No,  no !  "  she  broke  in,  with  a  quivering  lip.  "  Do  not 
say  any  more.  I  arn  tired,  and — and  ill,  I  think !  "  piteousty. 


MY    LADY   PRIDfi.  14S 

*  Ob,  forgive  me !  "  he  said,  remorsefully ;  "  but,  indeed,  it 
not  iflle  curiosity." 

"  I  know,"  she  murmured. 

"  I  will  not  harass  you,"  he  said.  "  Will  you  try  and  get 
some  sleep?  Let  me  pull  this  rug  more  closely  round  you. 
Try  and  rest  and  get  some  sleep,  if  possible." 

The  train  sped  on, 'the  green  fields  gave  place  to  rows  of 
houses  and  workshops,  and  presently  the  engine  snorted  and 
steamed  into  the  great  terminus. 

"  Wait  here ;  do  not  move,"  he  said.  "  I  will  come  for 
you  when  I  am  ready,"  and  he  got  out  and  went  for  her  lug- 
gage. 

"  I  have  got  a  cab,"  he  said,  when  he  returned.  '<  There 
'is  just  time  to  catch  the  other  train." 

He  drew  her  arm  within  his  and  placed  her  in  the  cab,  and 
then  followed. 

"  Oh,  do  not  come !  "  she  said.  "  I  have  given  you  trouble 
and  anxiety  enough ;  please  do  not  come  any  further ! " 

"  I  am  coming  to  the  station,  if  you  will  let  me,"  he  an- 
swered, simply,  and  he  added,  but  too  low  for  her  to  hear, 
"  Would  to  Heaven  that  I  could  go  all  the  way  with  you !  " 

"  Will  you  write  to  me  and  let  me  know  how  you  get  on  ?  " 
he  asked  when  the  cab  had  got  on  the  asphalt.  "  I  will  give 
you  the  address." 

"  Yes,"  said  Floris,  meekly. 

They  neared  the  other  station;  the  time  was  approaching 
when  he  must  leave  her.  His  heart  began  to  beat  with  a 
wistful  yearning  to  learn  the  truth;  and  suddenly,  so  suddenly 
that  Floris  started,  he  leaned  forward. 

"  Floris — Miss  Carlisle — I  shall  leave  you  in  a  few  minutes, 
Heaven  knows  how  sorrowfiilly  and  anxiously!  Will  you  let 
that  anxiety  plead  for  me,  if  I  ask  you  to  tell  me  why  you 
have  left  Bruce  at  Ballyfloe?  Why  he  has  let  you  take  this 
journey  alone?  " 

f*  1 — T  can  not  tell  you  !  "  she  answered,  brokenly. 

His  face  went  pale. 

"  Then  something  has  happened  !  For  Heaven's  sake,  toll 
me,  Floris !  I  can  not  leave  you  without  seeing  whether  I  can 
not  help  you.  Have  pity  on  me,  and  tell  me." 

"Yourcan  not  help  me — no  one  can  help  me!"  she  mur- 
mured, her  hands  clasped  tightly  together,  her  face  wan  and 
white. 

"  You  do  not  know;  at  anj  rate,  tell  me.    You  can  confide 


144  MY  LADY  PH1DE. 

in  me  as  if — as  if  I  were  your  brother.     I  would  to  Heaven 
that  I  were !  " 

Floris  shook  her  head. 

"  Why  has  Bruce  not  come  with  you?"  he  asked,  hi*  blue 
eyes  fixed  on  hers  appealihgly. 
^      She  shuddered. 

"  Do  not  speak  of  him.     Let — let  me  forget  him.*     » 

"  Forget  him !  Forget  Bruce  !  Why,  it  was  only  the  other 
day  that  you  were  engaged  to  him !  "  he  said,  trembling  with 
excitement.  "Are  you  not — is  the  engagement  broke**  off? 
For  Heaven's  sake,  tell  me,  Floris !  " 

She  raised  her  eyes  to  his  solemnly. 

"  Yes ;  it  is  broken  off." 

He  drew  a  long  breath,  his  eyes  still  fixed  on  her. 

"And  it  is  this,  then,  added  to  the  bad  news  from  home, 
that  makes  you  look  like  this!  I — I  guessed  it!  But  why? 
What  has  happened  ?  Oh,  Floris,  it  makes  my  heart  ache  *to 
see  you  looking  so  wretched  and  miserable !  Floris,  you  know 
that  I  would  gladly  give  up  my  life,  if  it  would  purchase  an 
hour's  happiness  for  you." 

She  put  out  her  hand,  pleading  to  him  for  silence;  but  he 
would  not,  could  not,  stop. 

"  You  know  it !  Floris,  let  me  help  you.  TeW  me  what  has 
happened.  Have  you  quarreled  ?  " 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  No !  Then — then  it  is  Bruce's  fault !  In  any  case,  it 
must  be  his !  But  he  will  be  sorry !  It  is  not  too  late  to 
bring  things  round  again.  Floris,  let  me  be  as  your  brother 
should.  Let  me  have  the  satisfaction  of  healing  this  breach 
between  you.  May  I  ?  " 

"  No !  "  she  said,  huskily.  "  No  one  can  do  that — not  even 
you ! " 

"  Let  me  write  to  him !  "  he  pleaded.  "  We  are  (*ld  friends. 
He  would  take  more  from  me  than  from  any  one  else.  Floris, 
if  I  know  him,  he  is  at  this  moment  suffering  as  deeply  as  you 
are.  But  it  is  not  of  him  I  am  linking,  but  of  you — of  you ! 
Let  me  write !  A  word  now  will  do  so  much  good !  n 

The  tears  ran  down  her  face  as  she  shook  her  head. 

"  No  word  that  can  be  written  can  do  any  good,"  she  mur- 
mured, and  there  was  something  in  the  tone  of  her  voice  which 
carried  conviction  to  Bertie's  soul. 

'  Then — then  he  has  done  you  some  great  wrong f  "  he  said, 
and  his  face  crimsoned  angrily.  "  Is  it  not  so  ?  " 


MY   LABY    PRIBE. 

"He  has  done  me  a  wrong  beyond  reparation,"  she  said, 
simply. 

He  threw  his  ulster  apart  as  if  he  were  stifling. 

"  Great  Heaven !  Has — has  he  b%een  false  to  you  ?  No, 
that  is  not  possible." 

She  turned  her  face  away. 

"  He  has !  Bruce !  Oh,  Moris,  there  must  be  some  awful 
mistake.  See,  now,  I  have  known  Bruce  all  my  whole  life ;  I 
would  answer  for  his  honor  with  my  own — " 

"  Oh,  stop,  stop ! "  she  moaned.  "  It  is  all  of  no  use !. 
[,  too,  would  have  answered  for  his  honor  with  my  life — and' 
you  see  that  we  are  parted — and — and  so  soon !  "  and  her  lips 
quivered.  "  Do  not  say  any  more  to  me.  Nothing,  nothing 
can  bridge  over  the  gulf  between  me  and  Lord  Norman.  I 
have  seen  him  for  the  last  time.  If  you  think  we  have  quar- 
reled, do  you  think  I  would  not  have  been  the  first  to  owa 
myself  wrong?  I  would  have  gone  on  my  knees  to  him! 
Quarreled!  Any  quarrel  may  be  healed,  but  this  that  has 
come  between  us  is  a  barrier  which  no  words,  no  time,  ev&n, 
can  cast  down!  If  you  have  any  pity  for  me — " 

"  Floris ! " 

"  Do  not  say  another  word.  Promise  me  that  yon  will  not 
write  to  him.  Write !  It  would  be  a  humiliation  too  terrible 
feo  be  thought  of!  Oh,  Lord  Clifforde,  do  not  think  me  un- 
grateful !  I  always  thought  of  you  as  a  friend.  I  have  not 
forgotten  " — her  tears  came  thick  and  fast  now — "  your  prom- 
ised to  be  a  friend  if  I  should  ever  need  one,  and  I  am  grate- 
ful— grateful !  But  no  friend,  not  even  a  brother,  could  d® 
or  say  aught  that  would  help  me  now." 

Bertie  wiped  the  drops  of  perspiration  from  his  brow,  too 
agitated  to  sj*eak. 

"  What  is  to  be  done?  "  he  slowly  muttered. 

"  Nothing !  "  said  Floris.  "  Lord  Clifforde,  we  have  all  our 
own  troubles  to  bear ;  I  must  bear  mine  as  best  I  can.  But  I 
shall  never  forget  your  kindness,  never !  Heaven  knows  how 
gratefully  I  shall  remember  it ! "  and  she  held  out  her  white, 
trembling  hand. 

He  took  it  and  pressed  It  almost  fiercely. 

"  If  I  had  but  known !  If  I  could  but  have  foresees !  "  he 
murmured,  very  despairingly. 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  You  could  not  have  helped  me !  " 

"  No,  no ! "  he  said.    "  But "•— -h«  took  out  his  watch  as  the 


146  ^   LA& 

cab  drew  up  at  the  stai;  .Ui— "but  vn  ttiing  I  could  have  done ; 
I  could  have  kept  out  o^  the  fool\  ciTvd  1  am  bound  on! " 

She  looked  at  him  qucstioningly,  .TX:*  lips  were  set  tightly, 
his  brows  drawn  as  if  with  pain. 

"  Floris — Miss  Carlisle — just  now  1  said  haw  sorry  1  was  I 
could  not  go  further  with  you  than  this  station.  That  was 
before  I  knew  this,  before  I  knew  how  badly  you  wanted  a 
friend.  Judge  how  -deeply, .how  madly  I  must  regret  it  now! 
Floris,  the  reason  I  can  not  go  with  you,  see  you  safely  at 
home,  and  remain  near  you  to  help  you,  if  possible,  is  that  I 
SJGHL  leaving  England  at  once." 

"  Leaving  England  ?  "  she  said,  in  a  very  dull  way. 

"Yes,"  he  answered,  gnawing  at  his  mustache,  his  face 
white  and  drawn.  "Yes;  I  am  ordered  on  active  service.  I 
am  now  on  my  way  to  join  my  regiment  at  the  docks.  I  shall 
just  have  time  to  do  so  and  no  more." 

"  Your  regiment  ?  " 

"  Floris,"  he  went  on,  his  eyes  fixed  on  her  wistfully,  "  I 
tried  hard  to  forget  you — ah,  do  not  shrink !  Do  not  think  I 
would  speak  of  my  love  now,  now  that  you  are  in  this  trouble  ? 
No  I  I  tried  to  get  over  my  sorrow,  tried  honestly,  but  I  could 
not.  A  stronger  man  might  have  done  so,  but  I  am  not 
strong,  or  my  love  for  you  was  stronger  than  myself !  Let  it 
be  as  it  may,  I  have  failed.  When  I  read  in  the  papers  that 
Bruce  had  Von  what  I  had  lost,  England  became  hateful  to 
me.  T  could  not  bear  to  face  the  probability  of  meeting  you 
and  him  .while  my  love  for  you  lived  in  my  heart  so  strongly. 
This  wai<  broke  out ;  they  wanted  volunteers.  T  was  an  officer 
in  the  militia,  and  eligible,  and  T  offered  myself  for  active 
service.  They  accepted  me  only  yesterday,  and  ordered  me 
out." 

His  hand  sought  hers,  and  grasped  it  tightly,  and  Floris 
could  not  find  it  in  her  heart  to  draw  it  away.- 

"A  few  hours  ago  T  might  have  backed  out,  or  got  an  ex- 
change; but  there  is  not  time  now.  There  is  hardly  time  to 
present  myself,  I  must  go !  T  must  go  and  leave  you,  Floris, 
to  meet  this  trouble  alone.  Oh,  Heaven,  what  fools  men  are! 
If  T  had  but  waited —  Oh,  don't  misunderstand  me!"  for 
Floris  had  shrunk  back.  "  Tt  is  not  that  T  have  any  wild 
hope  of  winning  you,  though  Heaven  only  knows  what  such 
love  as  mine  could  compass!  Tn  time  you  might  have  had 
pity  on  me,  if  all  is  really  oyer  between  Bruce  and  you.  But 
it  was  not  that  hope  of  which  I  was  thinking,  I  jward  my- 


MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

self  as  your  brother,  Floris;  dear  Florisl  and  I  must  leave 
you  " — his  voice  faltered— "  I  may  never  see  you  again !  It 
is  hard  to  leave  you  in  such  trouble  and  alone— but  I  must 
do  so ! " 

"  Do  not  think  of  me ! "  murmured  Floris. 

He  stared  at  his  watch,,  and  thrust  it  back  in  his  pocket 
with  a  groan. 

"Yes;  we  must  part!  Just  when  I  might  have  been  of 
some  use  to  you !  Fool !  fool !  "  and  he  clasped  her  hand  with 
a  despairing  gesture. 

"  Oh,  hush,  hush !  "  murmured  Floris.  "  You  could  not 
have  helped  me !  Do  not  think  of  me !  But  this  war — " 

He  laughed  bitterly. 

"  Who  cares  about  the  war  ?  "  he  retorted.  "  It  was  an  ex- 
cuse to  get  away;  to  do  something,  s5  that  in  the  doing  of  it 
I  might  forget  you;  and  now  I  shall  carry  this  remembrance 
of  you  with  me !  Alone !  Alone,  with  no  one  by  your  side, 
while  I  might  have  been  near  you,  to  help  and  comfort  you. 
Yes,  I  have  been  a  fool,  and  I  am  rightly  punished ! " 

It  was  Floris's  turn  to  console.  Gently,  timidly,  she  put 
out  her  hand  and  took  his. 

"And  do  you  think  you  have  not  comforted  me  ?  "  she  'mur- 
mured, her  sad  voice  grown  soft  and  tender.  "  Dear  friend, 
the  memory  of  your  kindness  and  tender-heartedness  will  re- 
main with  me  though  you  have  gone.  Do  not  forget  me, 
Lord  Clifforde ;  remember  that  you  have  a  sister  here  in  Eng- 
land who  will  pray  for  your  safety  and  happiness,  and  who, 
happen  what  may,  will  never  forget  how  true  a  friend  you 
have  been  to  her !  " 

No  man  will  have  cause  to  blush  for  Bertie  when  we  say 
that  the  tears  swam  thickly  in  his  eyes. 

"  Heaven  bless  you,  Floris !  "  lie  whispered.  "  Would  to 
Heaven  that  I  had  had  Bruce's  luck!  I  would  not  have 
squandered  it  and  trampled  it  under  foot  as  he  has  done! " 

There  was  time  for  no  more;  there  was,  indeed,  scarcely 
time  to  get  her  ticket.  But  he  did  get  it,  and  put  her  in  the 
train,  and  stood  at  the  car  door,  holding  her  hand  in  his  to 
the  last  minute. 

"  Good-by,  Floris!    You  take  my  heart  with  you,  sister!  " 

Then  she  was  borne  out  of  his  sight.  And  so  Floris  lost 
'both  her  lovers  in  one  day. 


148  MY   LADY   PRIBE. 

CHAPTEE  XIX. 

THE   DEER-STALKERS. 

IN  the  "good,  old  times/'  which,  thank  Heaven,  by  the 
way,  we  shall  never  see  again,  favored  mortals  were  supposed' 
to  have  been  guided  by  spirits,  which,  when  the  favored  mor- 
tals were  thinking  of  setting  out  on  adventures,  whispered, 
"  Go  thou !  "  or  "  Do  not  go !  " 

If  Lord  Norman  had  been  in  possession  of  such  a  guiding 
spirit  it  would  certainly  have  whispered  in  his  ear,  on  the 
morning  of  the  Scarf ross  expedition,  "  Do  not  go !  " 

As  it  was,  though  he  had  no  presentiments  of  coining  evil, 
and  the  plot  which  had  been  laid  for  the  destruction  of  his 
happiness,  he  was  not  very  keen  on  the  outing. 

Deer-stalking  had  been  a  passion  to  him,  and  there  was  no 
one  whose  knowledge  of  the  sport  was  greater  than  his,  no  one 
whose  eyes  were  keener,  or  whose  physical  endurance  was 
greater. 

But  on  this  occasion  he  would  rather  have  remained  at 
BallyfLoe,  and  spent  the  two  days  with  Floris. 

To  back  out  of  the  affair  was  for  him,  however,  an  impos- 
sibility. 

Sir  Joseph  had  organized  the  expedition  for  weeks  past; 
and  then  again,  there  was  the  personage  who  particularly  de- 
sired Lord  Norman's  company. 

The  .party  started  in  the  early  morning,  on  horseback,  at- 
tended by  a  few  favored  Highland  servants,  who  were  experts 
in  stalking,  and  everybody  who  knew  anything  of  the  sport 
declared  that  the  prospects  were  first-rate,  and  that  the  sturdy 
Scotch  ponies  would  soon  return  laden  with  the  royal  game. 

Lord  Norman,  who  had  been  rather  silent  during  the  long 
ride,  grew  more  cheerful  after  dinner,  and  when  the  cigars 
were  alight  vouchsafed  to  relate  some  of  his  experiences  in 
deer-stalking,  and  to  be  generally  amusing. 

They  gathered  round  the  fire,  chatting,  until  eleven,  then, 
by  mutual  consent,  went  off  to  bed. 

As  the  accommodation  was  strictly  limited,  two  men  had 
to  sleep  in  a  room,  and  Lord  Norman  found  that  his  com- 
panion chanced  to  be  a  young  fellow  fresh  from  college,  who 
was  an  intense  admirer  of  his,  and  who,  in  fact,  had  begged 


MY   LADY    FlUDi:,  14$ 

prayed  Sir  Joseph  to  arrange  that  ko  should  shart  Lord 
Norman's  room. 

The  boy — he  was  very  little  more — had  stolen  up  a  short 
time  before  the  general  withdrawal.,  and  had  seen  that  a  good 
fire  was  burning,  and  had,  with  his  own  hands,  made  the 
rough  apartment  as  ship-shape  as  it  could  be  made  by  the  ar- 
rangement of  rugs  and  shawls,  choosing  for  himself  the 
smallest  bed,  and  in  every  way  he  could  think  of  studying  his 
hero's  comfort;  feeling  that  if  he  could  gain  Lord  Norman's 
permission  to  be  near  him  on  the  eventful  morrow,  he  should 
be  amply  rewarded. 

"  Well,  Harry/3  said  Lord  Bruce,  looking  round,  "you 
haven't  forgotten  your  old  fagging  days.  You  have  made 
the  room  quite  home-like.  What  a  splendid  fire !  The  worst 
of  it  is  one  is  always  tempted  to  sit  up  and  keep  it  company. 
Do  you  mind  if  I  have  a  cigar?  Say  so,  if  you  do." 

"  Mind !  "  said  Lord  Harry,  fervently.  "  I'll  have  one,  too. 
if  I  shan't  be  disturbing  you  by  sitting  up." 

Lord  Norman  laughed.     The  boy's  devotion  pleased  him. 

"  Here,  take  one  of  these,"  he  said,  giving  him  his  case. 
"  We  mustn't  sit  up  long,  though.  We  start  almost  at 
daybreak,  and  it  will  be  hard  work,  and  no  rest  to-morrow, 
Harry." 

"  I  shan't  sleep  for  thinking  of  it,"  said  Lord  Harry — he 
had  come  into  his  title  a  few  months  back.  "  Oh,  by  the  way, 
Norman,  would  you  mind  my  going  with  you,  instead  of  one 
of  the  others  ?  I  know  it  is  a  great  favor  I  am  asking  and  I 
shan't  be  too  much  cut  up  if  you  refuse,"  he  went  on,  eagerly ; 
"  but  if  you  say  '  yes,'  I'll  promise  to  do  exactly  as  you  tell 
me,  and  not  make  a  nuisance  of  myself." 

Lord  Norman  nodded. 

"  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  have  you,  Harry/'  he  said,  little 
guessing  what  would  come  of  the  boy's  request.  "And  I'm 
sure  you  will  be  anything  but  a  nuisance." 

Lord  Harry  expressed  his  gratitude  quietly:  he  knew  his 
hero  disliked  any  fuss,  and  the  two  drew  near  the  fire  and 
smoked  and  talked ;  that  is,  Lord  Norman  talked  and  the  boy 
listened  with  reverent  ears  and  closely-riveted  attention. 

Lord  Norman  told  him  exactly  what  he  would  have  to  do 
on  the  morrow,  impressing  upon  him  how  necessary  it  would 
be  to  maintain  perfect  silence,  and  to  guard  against  his  being 
seen  by  the  deer. 

"Deer-crawling  it  might  be  called,  instead  of  deer-stalk- 


150  MT    LADY 

ing/'  he  said,  "for  we  shall  literally  have  to  crawl  aad  drag 
ourselves  over  the  ground  once  the  game  is  spotted." 

"  I  shall  watcli  you,  Norman,,  and  do  exactly  as  I  see  you 
do/'  said  Lord  Harry,  earnestly. 

"And  luck  standing  by  us,  we  will  give  a  good  account  of 
ourselves.  And  now  we  had  better  turn  in,,  I  think/' 

Lord  Harry  got  up  at  once  with  the  obedience  of  a  private 
to  his  officer,  and  went  to  bed,  but  Lord  Norman  sat  and 
watched  the  fire  for  a  long  time  before  he  retired. 

It  was  a  noisy  breakfast  party  next  morning;  most  of  the 
men  taking  their  coffee  'and  broiled  ham  and  eggs  standing, 
and  as  the  sun  rose  from  behind  the  hills,  they  set  out, 
themselves  on  foot,  the  gillies  bringing  up  the  rear  with  the 
horses. 

As  he  had  promised,  Lord  Norman  chose  Harry  for  his 
companion,  and,  accompanied  by  Donald,  they  took  the  line 
allotted  to  them,  and  commenced  the  day's  work  in  a  glow  of 
pleasant  excitement. 

The  country  was  as  familiar  to  Donald  as  Fleet  Street  was 
to  Doctor  Johnson,  and  with  the  cunning  of  a  Red  Indian,  he 
guided  them  to  the  most  likely  spot  for  the  big  game. 

In  silence  the  men  crept  from  sheltering  rock  to  sheltering 
rock,  Donald's  keen  eyes  always  on  the  lookout  for  the  vision 
of  a  pair  of  antlers  between  them  and  the  blue  sky. 

About  noon,  as  they  were  lying  hidden  in  a  little  hollow 
with  their  guns  in  their  hands,  Donald  made  a  slight  motion 
with  his  hand,  and  presently  a  stag  moved  from  behind  the 
hills  in  front  of  them  and  came  proudly  into  the  valley. 

Harry,  watching  his  hero,  saw  him  press  himself,  as  it  were, 
into  the  ground,  and  followed  his  example. 

The  eyes  of  the  three  men  were  glued  on  the  approaching 
monarch  of  the  glen,  their  hearts  beating  so  fast  that  the  boy 
fancied  the  stag  must  hear  them  and  take  flight. 

Slowly,  haughtily,  the  beautiful  creature  advanced ;  then, 
while  still  o\\t  of  range,  turned  and  threw  up  its  head,  as  if 
scenting  the  air. 

There  was  a  moment  of  awful  suspense  for  the  silent  watch- 
ers ;  then  the  stag,  appearing  reassured,  moved  slightly  round, 
still  advancing. 

The  moment  he  came  within  range  Norman  turned  his 
eyes  on  Harry,  and  formed  the  word  "  fire  "  with  his  lips. 

The  boy  hesitated ;  it  was  too  generous  a  sacrifice. 


MY   LADY   PRIDE,  151 

Ho  looked  at  Lord  Norman  quebtioningly ;  then  asking  that 
he  might  accept  the  offer,  took  aim,  and—* missed. 

Donald  growled;  but  at  the  same  instant  Lord  Norman 
fired,,  and  the  stag  leaped  into  the  air  and  fell  prone  on  its 
side. 

Lord  Harry,  with  a  boy's  enthusiasm,  sprung  to  his  feet 
with  a  triumphant  shout,  and  dashed  toward  it. 

Now  it  does  not  follow  that  because  a  stag  falls  he  is  dead. 

Donald  and '  Lord  Norman,  knowing  the  danger,  shouted 
warningly ;  but  Lord  Harry,  misunderstanding  them,  kept  on 
his  way  and  had  reached  the  stag,  when  it  sprung  to  its  feet 
and  charged  full  at  him. 

It  was  an  awful  sight.  The  beast  looked  monstrous  in  its 
savage  fury,  and  the  boy  seemed  paralyzed. 

All  would  have  been  over  with  him  had  he  not,  fortunately, 
caught  his  foot  in  the  heather  and  slipped  at  the  moment  the 
stag  would  have  reached  him,  and  instead  of  striking  him, 
the  beast  went  over  his  prostrate  form. 

In  an  instant  it  turned  to  renew  the  attack,  but  by  this 
time  Lord  Norman  had  come  up,  and  standing  over  the  boy, 
raised  his  gun  by  the  stock  to  strike  the  animal. . 

There  was  one  confused  mingling  of  man  and  stag — an 
awful  crashing  sound,  broken  bones,  and  Lord  Norman 
went  down,  as  if  felled  by  a  tree. 

Then,  and  not  till  then,  dared  Donald  venture  to  fire  and 
bring  the  great  beast  down,  and  it  fell  without  a  groan,  and 
dead  this  time,  right  across  Lord  Norman's  body. 

It  all  happened  in  so  short  a  space  of  time  that  the  poor 
boy  stood  staring  with  white  face  and  starting  eyes,  scarcely 
realizing  the  consequences  of  his  inexperience. 

Donald,  with  savage  Highland  imprecations,  dragged  the 
stag  from  the  prostrate  form  of  Lord  Norman,  and  raised  his 
head,  and  Lord  Harry  fell  on  his  knees  beside  him. 

"Oh!  what  have  I  done — what  have  I  done?"  he  cried.  "Is 
he  dead,  Donald?  '  Oh!  Donald,  Donald — what  shall  we  tfo 
now?" 

"Haud  your  tongue,  and  give  me  the  flask,  mon ! "  said 
Donald,  savagely.  "  If  the  laird  be  dead,  he's  give  his  life  for 
ye,  that's  sure  enough;  the  beastie  would  have  killed  thee. 
"Unloose  his  neck-cloth,  and  run  to  the  brook  we  passed  for 
some  water.  Get  it  in  your  cap.  And  shout  wi'  all  ye  strength 
as  ye  go." 

Foot  Ler#  Ka*iy  bounded  off.  shouting  at  tKe  top  of  his 


M*   LADY   PRIDE. 

voice;  but  the  hills  seemed  to  echo  his  cry  for  help  with  infi- 
nite mockery.  When  he  came  hack,  Lord  Norman  was  still 
unconscious. 

His  face  and  breast  were  covered  with  blood,  flowing  from 
wounds  in  his  head  and  neck.,  and  Donald  could  not  give  any 
opinion  as  to  the  extent  of  his  injuries. 

1     Neither  the  water  nor  the  brandy  would  restore  Lord  Nor- 
man to  consciousness,  and  for  the  first  time  in  his  life  the  ( 
sturdy  old  Highlander  looked  at  a  loss. 

"  No,  no ;  he's  not  dead,  mon,"  he  said,  in  reply  to  Lord 
Harry's  frenzied  inquiries ;  "  but  I'd  like  to  see  him  come  to ! 
Climb  yonder  hill  there,  and  fire  your  gun,  and  shout;  maybe 
some  of  the  party  will  be  near  and  come  over  and  help  us." 

Lord  Harry  snatched  up  his  gun  and  tore  off,  and  Donald 
washed  the  wounds  as  well  as  he  could  with  the  little  water 
he  had,  and  forced  some  brandy  through  the  clinched  lips. 

The  stag  had  struck  a  ferocious  blow — his  last  in  this  life — 
and  the  antlers  had  broken  Lord  Norman's  skull,  and  cut  his 
neck  and  breast  to  a  fearful  extent.  The  thick  coat  was 
slashed  and  torn  as  if  it  had  been  divided  by  a  keen-edged 
knife. 

Presently,  while  Donald  was  eying  the  stalwart  frame  and 
wondering  whether  it  would  be  possible  for  him  to  carry  it  any 
distance,  he  heard  the  voices  of  men  shouting  from  behind  the 
hill,  and  in  a  few  moments  Lord  Harry  returned  at  full  speed. 

"  They  are  coming !  "  he  panted.  "  Thank  Heaven,  they  are 
coming !  Oh,  Donald,  what  shall  I  do  ?  Some  more  water !  " 
and  off  he  ran  again. 

The  approaching  figure  proved  to  be  Sir  Joseph  and  M  serv- 
ant with  a*  pony.  Sir  Joseph's  distress  at  sight  of  the  uncon- 
scious, bleeding  figure  of  Lord  Norman  was  almost  as  great 
as  Lord  Harry's;  but  there  was  no  time  lost  in  idle  bewail- 
ing. 

Carefully  and  tenderly  they  lifted  the  wounded  man  and 
placed  him  acress  the  pony,  Donald  and  Sir  Joseph  support- 
ing him  in  as  easy  a  position  as  possible,  and  the  mournful 
cotege  then  started  for  the  hut. 

They  could  only  go  at  a  walking  pace,  and.  the  way  seemed 
interminable,  but  at  last  they  reached  the  hut,  and  Lord  Nor- 
man was  carried  into  the  room  which  last  night  he  had  paced 
with  presentiments  of  coming  ill  thick  upon  him. 

One  of  the  men  was  dispatched  on  the  fleetest  horse  to 
Ballyfloe  for  medical  assistance — fortunately  there  happened 


MY    LADY    PRIDE. 

to  be  a  young  doctor  among  the  guests— and  Lord  Norman 
was  carefully  undressed  and  his  wounds  bound  and  attended, 
to. 

Toward  evening  he  recovered  consciousness. 

Opening  his  eyes  he  fixed  them  on  Sir  Joseph,  who  stood 
beside  him,  with  a  troubled  expression,  and  his  lips  moved. 

Sir  Joseph  bent  down  and  caught  the  word : 

"  Floris ! » 

He  understood  in  a  moment. 

"It  is  all  right,  my  dear  Norman.  I  have  sent  to  Bally- 
floe,  of  course,  but  my  man  is  intelligent  and  will  not  alarm 
Miss  Carlisle. 

Lord  Norman  panted  forth  a  sigh  of  relief,  then  his  brow 
knit, as  if  he  were  striving  to  remember  something,  and  he 
murmured : 

"  Harry !  " 

The  boy  had  implored  them  to  allow  him  to  remain  in  the 
room,  and  Sir  Joseph  beckoned  him  forward. 

"He  is  all  safe!"  he  said. 

Lord  Norman  smiled,  as  the  boy  fell  on  his  knees  beside 
the  bed,  and  gently  stretched  out  his  hand,  which  poor  Lord 
Harry  seized  and  pressed  miserably. 

These  efforts,  slight  as  they  were,  proved  too  great,  and 
Lord  Norman  instantly  relapsed  into  unconsciousness. 

So  there  he  lay,  helpless  in  mind  and  body  while  Floris — 
hundreds  of  miles  away — was  by  her  mother's  bedside,  and 
separated  from  him,  alas!  by  more  than  miles. 

Certainly  evil  chance  had  favored  Lady  Blanche,  and—? 
" the  wicked  were  flourishing!" 


CHAPTER  XX. 

RULED    BY      DESTINY.  I 

THE  brougham  whirled  Josine  back  from  the  station,  ancl 
she  made  her  way  at  once  to  Lady  Blanche. 

Her  ladyship  was  lying  down  on  the  couch  in  her  room, 
and  merely  turned  her  head  as  Josino  entered  ;  her  face  was 
very  pale,  and  there  were  dark  marks  under  the  eys,  telling 
of  the  agony  of  suspense  and  actual  fear  she  had  endured, 


154  MY    LADY    PRIDE. 

"  Well  ?  "  »he  said,  her  dark-krown  eyes  resting  on  Josine's 
face  with  feverish,  "haughty  impatience. 

Josine  smiled,,  and  began  taking  6ff  her  gloves  as  she  would 
have  done  in  the  presence  of  an  equal,  and  Lady  Blanche 
flushed  as  she  noticed  the  action. 

"  It  is  all  right,,  miladi !  "  said  Josine.  "  Fortune  has 
favored  us,  and  Miss  Carlisle  has  gone  to  London,  "to — ah, 
who  cares  where  ? — by  the  afternoon  train !  " 

Lady  Blanche  drew  a  breath  of  relief  and  turned  her  face 
away. 

"  Oh,  yes,  our  little  comedy  has  finished  spendidlly !  "  went 
on  Josine ;  "  and  it  deserved  to,  for  it  was  admirably  con-' 
ceived  and  carried  out.  But,  ah,  Heaven,  the  trouble  it  was 
to  convince  mademoiselle  that  milord  could  be  false !  " 

Lady  Blanche  leaned  her  face  on  her  hand  and  frowned. 

"  You  think  that  all  is  safe,"  she  said,  coldly,  "  whereas  I 
can  see  that  we  are  at  only  the  beginning  of  the  affair.  Do 
you  think  that  Lord  Norman  will  not  write  to  her — follow 
her  ?  Josine,  I  fear  that  this  will  end  badly.  I  am  sorry  that 
—that  I  was  tempted  to  have  anything  to  do  with  it."  And 
she  began  to  pace  the  room. 

Josine  looked  at  her  rather  contemptuously. 

"  Miladi  loses  courage  when  the  battle  is  over,"  she  said. 
"Bah!  there  is  little  sense  i$  that.  Pardon"— for  Lady 
Blanche  had  turned  on  her  with  fierce  hauteur — "pardon,  but 
is  it  not  true,  miladi?  Is  not  mademoiselle  gone,  never  te 
return?" 

Lady  Blanche  smiled  bitterly. 

"  My  poor  girl,"  she  said,  scornfully.  "  I  fear  that  she  will 
return,  all  too  quickly,  and  that  our  punishment  will  be  as 
speedy.  Lord  Norman  is  no  fool — not  a  man  to  be  deceived 
and  bullied—" 

"  Bullied,  no,  perhaps ;  but  deceived,  yes !  "  retorted  Josine, 
showing-  her  teeth.  "Any  man  can  be  deceived,  miladi. 
Bah !  it  is  easier  than  deceiving  a  woman." 

"You  may  try,"  said  Lady  Blanche,  grimly.  "And  first, 
you  will  have  to  account  for  Miss  Carlisle's  absence.  T  have 
boon  going  over  the  who]e  shameful  business  while  you  have 
been  away,  and  T  wish  to  Heaven  find  I  had  had  nothing  lo 
do  with  it!" 

The  reaction  had  set  in  after  the  lime  of  excitement; 
smd  fear,  actual  fear,  had  taken  possession  of  Lady  Blanche, 


MY   LADY    PRIDE. 

"  To  account  for  mademoiselle's  sudden  flight  is  oasy.  I 
have  two  reasons,"  said  Josine.  "  First,  here  is  this." 

And  she  took  the  telegram  and  laid  it  on  the  table. 

Lady  Blanche  glanced  at  it  and  turned  pale. 

A  sharp  pang  of  pity,  actual  pity  for  Floris,  shot  through 
her  heart,  and  then  it  turned  to  stone  again. 

She  pushed  the  telegram  away  with  her  white  hand, 
petulantly,  impatiently. 

"  Lord  Norman  will  follow  her  immediately  he  returns 
from  Scarfross,"  she  said,  with  an  air  of  conviction. 

"Ah,  well ;  then  he  must  not  see  this  telegram !  "  rejoined 
Josine.  "And  now  for  the  other  reason  for  mademoiselle's 
disappearance.  What  if  we  say  that  she  went  off  with  Milord 
Clifforde— 

Lady  Blanche  stared  at  her  as  if  she  thought  the  girl  had 
taken  leave  of  her  senses. 

.  "  Gone  off  with  Lord  Clifforde !  "  she  repeated.  "  What  use 
would  be  such  a  lie  as  that,  which  would  be  detected  at 
once?" 

"  But  it  is  no  lie !  "  said  Josine,  coolly,  enjoying  the  amaze- 
inent  she  haS  excited.,  "  It  is  certain  that  Miss  Carlisle 
was  met  at  the  station  by  Milord  Clifforde,  for  I  saw  him ! " 

Lady  Blanche  smiled  contemptuously. 

"  No  one  will  believe  that,  my  good  girl !  "  she  said. 

Josine  shrugged  her  shoulders. 

"  On  my  bare  word  ?  Perhaps  not !  But  all  the  same,  Mi- 
lord Clifford  was  there,  and  traveled  to  London  in  the  earno 
car  with  Miss  Carlisle !  Others  saw  him— the  porter — the 
guard,  who  knew  him — " 

Lady  Blanche  sprung  to  her  feet,  pale  and  breathless. 

"Can  it  be  possible?"  she  murmured. 

Josine  laughed. 

"It  is  quite  true,  miladi!  It  was  a  strange  coincidence, 
certainly;  a  happy  chance.  Accident  is  favorable  to  us,  is  it 
not?  Now  see,  what  is  easier  than  to  put  this  telegram  on 
the  fire — so  " — she  flung  the  tele! gram  in  the  grate  as  she 
spoke — "and  to  say  that  we  know  nothing  excepting  that  a 
telegram  did  come  .from  some  one  or  somewhere,  and  that 
Miss  Carlisle  did  start  for  London  at  once,  and  that  Milonl 
Clifforde  met  her  at  the  station  ?  I  make  no  accusations !  \o. 
Heaven  forbid !  "  she  went  on,  with  a  smile.  "  I  say  nothing ! 
'Ah,  no,  I'll  not  say  the  telegram  came  from  Milord  Cliffords? 
Certainly  not!  I  do  not  say  that  it  was  an,  appointment — • 


MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

their  meeting  at  the  train— but  others  will — all  the  ladi«» 
here  who  love  scandal — and  Milord  Norman  will  believe 
them !  " 

Lady  Blanche  stood  regarding  her  with  breathless  in- 
tentness. 

"  I  shall  tell  no  lies !  "  said  Josine,  coolly.  "  I  shall  tell  the 
truth — all  but  excepting  the  telegram.  That  I  know  nothing 
about  save  that  it  came!  You  see,  miladi,  that  the  trump 
cards  are  all  in  our  hands ;  we  have  just  to  play  them — so !  " 

Lady  Blanche  sunk  back  in  her  chair  again. 

Suppress  the  telegram !  Another  crime !  Step  by  step  she 
was  sinking  to  the  lowest  depths  of  deceit  and  mental  de- 
pravity. 

And  yet  what  could  she  do?  She  had  set  out  upon  the 
sea  of  falsehood,  and  must  drift,,  drift,  drift  with  the  tide  of 
circumstances. 

She  must  decide  at  once.  Tri  a  short  time — an  hour  or 
two — the  party  would  have  returned  from  the  Cascades,  and 
Floris's  absence  would  have  to  be  accounted  for. 

With  a  troubled  frown  she  got  up,  and  go  ing,  to  her  jewel- 
case  took  out  a  bundle  of  notes. 

Almost  solemnly  she  held  them  out  to  Josine,  who  stood 
watching  her  with  glittering  eyes. 

"Take  these/'  she  said;  "it  is  the  reward  we  agreed  upon. 
I  give  them  to  you  willingly — you  have  earned  them.  But 
from  this  moment  I  will  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  the 
affair.  I  know  nothing  about  Miss  Carlisle's  flight,  and  will 
say  nothing,  remember  that!  Tell  what  lies  you  please,  ac- 
count for  her  absence  in  any  way  that  suits  you  best;  but  do 
not  expect  me  to  help  you  or  to  bear  out  any  of  your  state- 
ments. From  this  moment  I  wash  my  hands  of  the  busi- 
ness !  "  And  she  turned  away. 

Josine  laughed. 

"  That  is  well  said,  miladi !  Truly  now  is  the  time  for  mi- 
la  di  to  wash  her  hands  of  the  affair ;  now  the  affair  is  done ! " 

Lady  Blanche  started. 

"All  is  over  and  finished — yes !  And  it  is  quite  wise  of 
miladi  to  know  nothing  and  say  nothing;  for  her  the  conse- 
quences will  work  out  themselves.  And  as  to  Josine — well, 
she  will  know  nothing,  absolutely  nothing ;  and  as  to  Monsieur 
Raymond — ' 

Lady  Blanche  started ;  for  the  moment  she  had  almost  for- 
gotten him. 


MY  LADY   PRIDE.  15? 

"He,  too,  will  be  very  glad  to  forget!  I  ain  going  now, 
miladi.  Is  there  anything  I  can  do  for  you?  " 

Lady  Blanche  shook  her  head,  and  Josine,  with  a  respect- 
ful courtesy,  departed. 

Two  hours  afterward  the  party  from  the  Cascades  returned. 

Lady  Blanche  could  hear  them  laughing  on  the  terrace  out- 
side, and  at  the  sound  of  their  voices  a  spasm  of  fear  shook 
her. 

!  How  should  she  face  them  all,  she,  with  so  black  a  secret, 
so  heavy  a  load  of  sin  upon  her  bosorn  ? 

Josine,  calmly  and  demurely  putting  out  Lady  Betty's 
evening  attire,  smiled  as  she  heard  them  outside. 

To  her  the  whole  thing  was  a  keen  enjoyment,  and  in  an- 
ticipation she  was  reveling  in  Lady  Betty's  astonishment  and 
perplexity. 

.  Presently  they  came  .trooping  upstairs,  and  Lady  Betty 
entered  the  room. 

"  We  are  late,  Josine !  "  she  said ;  "  we  must  be  quick." 

"  Certainly,  miladi.    Has  miladi  had  a  pleasant  day?  " 

"  It  has  been  delightful,  Josine/'  said  Lady  Betty,  who  had 
enjoyed  herself  immensely,  and  was  in  the  best  of  spirits. 
"Delightful!  I  am  so  sorry  that  Miss  Carlisle  was  not  with 
us !  How  is  she  ?  " 

"Better,  miladi.     Mademoiselle  has  gone  out,"  demurely. 

"  Gone  out  I"  said  Lady  Betty,  slipping  off  her  habit.  "I'm 
glad  of  that ;  it  will  do  her  good.  But  she  ought  to  be  in  by 
this  time  or  she  will  be  awfully  late  for  dinner/' 

"Miladi  misunderstands  me,"  said  Josine,  suavely;  "made- 
moiselle has  gone ;  has  left  Ballyfloe." 

Lady  Betty  turned  and  stared  at  her. 

"  Left  Ballyfloe !     Miss  Carlisle !     Now  don't  be  an  idiot. 
•STosine !    What  do  you  mean  ?  " 
i     Josine  pretended  to  be  aggrieved. 

f  "  Miladi,  I  tell  you  only  what  I  know  of  my  own  knowl- 
edge"! Mademoiselle  has  gone — left  Ballyfloe !  "  She  went  by 
this  afternoon's  train  !  " 

Lady  Betty  flung  herself  into  Floris's  room. 

Josine  had  tidied  it  up,  but  there  were  still  traces  of  the 
packing  and  no  signs  of  Floris. 

With  something  like  a  cry  of  alarm  Lady  Betty  darted  back 
and  confronted  Josine. 

"  It  is  a  stupid  joke !  "  she  gasped.     "  Tell  me  it  is,  you 


158  MY    LADY    PRIDE. 

wicked  girl !   Where  is  she?    Floris !"   And  >li<-  ran  to  the  door 
and  called.    "  Where  arc  you  ?  " 

Josine  stood  with  a  dark  smile  on  her  face,  and  Lady  Betty 
came  back,  panting  and  breathless. 

u  Miladi,  it  is  quite  true,  I  do  assure  you/"  said  Josine, 
suavely.  4i  Mademoiselle  left  Ballynoe  this  afternoon.  I 
Kiyself  accompanied  her  to  the  station,  and  saw  her  ofT/; 

Lady    Betty   sat   open-eyed   and   open-mouthed. 

"You  did — and  it  is  not  a  joke!  Then — then,  why  did 
she  go  ?  " 

Josine  shrugged  her  shoulders  and  pursed  her  lips. 

"  She  left  some  message — some  note  for  me  ?  "  said  Lady 
Betty,  almost  tragically.  "Where  is  it?" 

"  Xo ;  mademoiselle  left  no  note  for  miladi,"  replied  Jo- 
sine,  gravely ;  "  but  message — ah,  yes;  she  said  that  I  was  to 
tell  miladi  she  would  write." 

"  She  would  write !  But  why  ,did  she  go — why  did  she  go  ?" 
demanded  Lady  Betty,  in  a  frenzy. 

Josine  shrugged  her  shoulders  again. 

"Was  she  sent  for?" 

"  Yes,  there  was  a  telegram,  miladi." 

"  You  obstinate  pig — why  couldn't  you  say  so  ?  "  almost 
shrieked  Lady  Betty,  driven  frantic  by  Josine's  assumed  non- 
chalance. 

"Milaldi  didn't  ask  me.", 

"Ask  you !    And  who  was  the  telegram  from  ?  " 

Josine  stared  with  well-simulated  indignation. 

"How  should  T  know  that,  miladi?  No,  I  do  not  know. 
Mademoiselle  burned  it — carefully  burned  it." 

"  Burned  it !  "  repeated  Lady  Betty.    "  Well— and  then  ?  " 

"And  then  mademoiselle  directed  me  to  pack  her  box,  and 
order  a  carriage  for  the  station;  and  T  did  so,  and  accompan- 
ied mademoiselle." 

"  And  she  has  gone  up  to  London  by  herself !  "  wailed  Lady 
Betty.  "  Lord  Norman  will  go  out  of  his  mind  !  " 

"Ah!  but  mademoiselle  has  not  traveled  alone.  Ah,  no!" 
said  Josine.  "  The  gentleman  met  her  at  the  station,  yet." 

"  The  gentleman,  you  idiot — what  gentleman  ?  "  demanded 
Lady  Betty,  all  eyes. 

"  Milord  Cliffords,  miladi !  "  rejoined  Josine,  demurely. 

Lady  Betty  gazed  at  her  open-mouthed,  then  turned 
crimson. 

"  Y©u  wicked,  lying  girl !  "  she  gasped. 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  159 

"Miladi!"  exclaimed  Josine,  facing  round  aad  drawing 
herself  to  her  full  height. 

"  You  wicked  girl !  "  repeated  poor  Lady  .Betty.  "  How 
dare  you  stand  there  and  tell  me  such  dreadful  lies?  Mis* 
Carlisle  gone  off  with  Lord  Clifforde!" 

"Oh,  pardon,  miladi!  "  said  Josine,  sweetly;  "  it  was  not  I 
who  said  that,  it  was  miladi.  I  only  said  mademoiselle  met 
milord  at  the  station — not  that  she  had  gone  off  with  him/' 

Lady  Betty  could  have  bitten  her  tongue  off. 

"You  wicked  girl;  I  don't  believe  a  word  of  what  you  say ! 
£  don't  believe  that  Lord  Clifforde  was  there  at  all !" 

Josine  tried  to  flush,  and  managed  to  look  fiercely  indig- 
nant again. 

"  But  yes,  miladi,  he  was !  "  she  insisted.  "  I  myself  saw 
him.  He  traveled  in  the  same  car  with  mademoiselle !  Ah, 
you  do  not  believe  me !  Then  ask  the  porter — the  guard — wh@ 
knows  him!  Inquire  for  yourself,  miladi!  Why  should  I  tell 
miladi  a  lie?  Miss  Carlisle  will  write  directly  and  tell  mi- 
ladi what  I  now  tell  her,  that  she  went  from  Ballyfloe  with 
Milord  Clifforde!" 

Poor  Lady  Betty  sat  transfixed. 

Was  the  girl  lying?  It  seemed  impossible  that  she  should 
be  speaking  the  truth.  And  yet,  why  should  she  lie?  What 
avail  would  lying  be  to  her  ?  What  profit,  seeing  that,  as  she 
said,  the  truth  would  be  known  in  a  few  hours  ? 

Josine  held  up  the  dinner-dress  calmly. 

"Shall  I  assist  miladi?" 

."Don't  speak  to  me — yet!  Tell  me  more,  Josine!  I — I 
am  sorry  if — if  I  called  you  names  that  don't  belong  to  you ; 
but — are  you  sure  that  it  was  Lord  Clifforde  ?  "  • 

"Ah,  but  certain,  miladi !  "  said  Josine,  with  a  smile.  "  I 
knew  milord  well.  Besides,  I  spoke  with  him !  But,  and  " 
—with  a  sudden  look  of  compunction — "  perhaps  I  ought  net 
to  tell !  I  have  betrayed  mademoiselle's  confidence." 

Lady  Betty  flushed. 

*  Nonsense !    There  is  no  confidence  in  the  matter !  " 

"I  am  glad  of  that!"  said  Josine,  with  an  air  of  relief; 
"for  Miss  Carlisle  did  offer  me  a  large  sum  of  money,  and 
though  I  did  not  take  it,  I  should  not  like  to  betray  her  con- 
fidence." 

Lady  Betty  turned  pale. 

Floris  fled  suddenly,  without  a  word  of  warning  or  explan- 
ation, and  in  the  company  of  Bertie — Bertie,  who  had  been 


160  MY  LADY  PRIDE: 

her  most  passionate  lover— and  Floris  had  offered  a  large  sum 
of  money  as  a  bribe  to  Josine ! 

Great  Heaven,  what  did  it  mean,  if  it  did  not  mean  that 
Floris  had  eloped  with  Bertie? 

From  whom  could  the  telegram  have  been,  if  not  from 
him  ?  As  to  their  meeting  at  such  an  out-of-the-way  place  as 
Ballyfloe,  and  both  going  by  the  same  train  by  mere  coinci- 
dence,, the  idea  was  too  absurd. 

Great  and  merciful  Heaven,  if — if  Floris  had — was  guilty 
}f  such  dreadful  treachery,  what  would  become  of  Bruce? 
Who  was  to  tell  him  ?  And  -he  a  day's  journey  from  Ballyfloe. 

With  her  head  in  a  whirl,  poor  Lady  Betty  allowed  herself 
to  be  dressed,  trembling  so  with  agitation  that  Josine  could 
scarcely  fasten  the  bracelets  around  her  wrists. 

"  Look  here,  Josine,"  she  said  at  last,  after  a  silence,  dur- 
ing which  the  whole  thing  had  jarred  and  traveled  through 
her  brain ;  "  I  don't  know  why  Miss  Floris  has  gone  off  so 
suddenly,  but — but — there  is,  of  course,  good  reason  for  it. 
Now,  you  don't  want  to  chatter  about  it — " 

Josine  interrupted  with  a  smile. 

"  Miladi,  I  never  chatter  about  anything." 

"  You — you  are  a  good  girl,"  said  poor  Lady  Betty ;  "  and 
you  may  have  that  yellow  satin  dress  you  admire  so  much — " 

"  Oh,  miladi !  "  gratefully. 

"Yes — and — and  for  goodness'  sake,  don't  let  Lady  Blanche 
pump  you !  "  exclaimed  poor  Lady  Betty. 

"  Certainly  not !"  responded  Josine,  with  a  twinkle  in  her 
black  eyes. 

"And  now  I'll  go  down — and  what  I'm  to  say,  the  good- 
ness only  knows ! "  groaned  Lady  Betty.  "  Oh,  how  I  wish 
Bruce  was  at  home,  and  yet — no,  I  don't !  "  she  added,  with  a 
shudder. 

She  went  down  to  dinner,  and  was  at  once  assailed  by  in- 
quiries after  Miss  Carlisle's  health;  and  one  or  two  waited 
anxiously  to  hear  the  answer,  for  the  news  had  floated  up 
from  the  servant's  hall  that  Miss  Carlisle  had  left  Ballyfloe. 

Lady  Betty,  surrounded  by  very  curious  eyes,  put  the  best 
face  she  could  on  the  matter. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say,"  she  added,  "that  Miss  Carlisle  has  been 
summoned  home " — how  little  she  guessed  that  she  was  so 
near  the  truth — "  she  was  obliged  to  leave  by  the  afternoon 
mail." 

There  were  general  expressions  of  regret  and  sorrow — Floris 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  361 

Sad  made  herself  very  popular — and  several  of  the  young  men 
looked  inconsolable. 

Just  then  Lady  Blanche  glided  into  the  room. 

She  was  magnificently  dressed,  and  a  hectic  flush  burned  in 
her  usually  pale  cheek. 

Her  eye's  glittered  in  the  candle-light  as  brilliantly  as  the 
diamond  tiara  in  her  hair,  and  about  her  was  a  feverish  air  of 
excitement  which  attracted  attention. 

'     "  Is  not  this  dreadful  about  Miss  Carlisle,  Lady  Seymour  ?  " 
said  one  of  the  young  men,  with  a  doleful  countenance. 

"  What  has  happened  ?  "  she  inquired,  looking  from  one  to 
the  other.  "An  accident?" 

"  No,  no,"  said  Lady  Betty,  hastily.  "  Floris  has  been 
sent  for  from  home ;  that  is  all." 

"  Oh !  "  said  Lady  Blanche,  sympathetically ;  "  I  am  very 
sorry !  And  she  has  gone  ?  What  a  dreadful  journey  to  take 
alone!" 

Lady  Betty  looked  up  at  her  quickly,  but  the  lovely  face 
was  placid  and  innocent-looking  as  a  child's,  and  the  next  mo- 
ment dinner  was  announced. 

After  dinner  Floris's  sudden  departure  was  discussed  from 
many  points.  The  ladies,  who  had  gathered  something  from 
their  maids,  were  inclined  to  be — well — slightly  suspicious; 
the  gentlemen  all  deplored  the  absence  of  the  universal  fa- 
vorite and  were  disconsolate. 

Lady  Blanche  sung  and  played,  with  the  usual  group  of 
courtiers  around  her;  but  after  a  time,  when  the  room  grew 
hot,  she  took  up  her  fan  and  strolled  out  on  the  terrace 
through  one  of  the  windows. 

It  was  a  lovely  night — poor  Floris  was  rushing  through  the 
air  at  fifty  miles  an  hour,  and  Bruce,  still  at  the  hut  where 
they  had  taken  him,  was  lying  unconscious  to  all  the. world— 
and  Lady  Blanche  leaned  against  the  stone  coping  and  looked 
up  at  the  stars. 

Destiny  ruled  over  all ! 

Was  it  her  destiny  to  marry  Lord  Norman,  or  had  she 
toiled  and  plotted  and  sinned  in  vain? 

That  was  her  one  thought.  To  Floris,  the  girl  Whose  hap- 
piness she  had  destroyed,  she  never  gave  one  passing  remem- 
brance; utterly  remorseless,  she  wiped  all  thought  of  Floris 
from  her  mind. 

She  had  been  a  shadow  across  her — Lady  Blanche's — path, 
and  had  now  passed ;  that  was  all ! 


169  MY  LADY   PRIDE. 

It  was  to  Bruce  she  now  looked.  Give  her  hut  time  and 
opportunity,  and  she  could— she  would — win  back  has  loffc, 
and  all  would  be  well. 

Suddenly  while  she  mused,  and  shaped  the  picture  under 
the  stars  with  that  hopefuln^s  which  comes  of  a  successful 
effort — criminal  or  otherwise — she  heard  her  name  whispered. 

She  knew  the  voice  in  an  instant;  it  was  Oscar  Raymond's. 

She  did  not  move  for  a  moment  or  two,  while  she  crushed 
back  the  fear  and  loathing  that  the  sound  of  the  voice  had 
called  up,  then  she  bent  over  the  balustrade,  and  saw  him 
standing  on  the  gravel  path. 

He  was  still  dressed  in  close  imitation  to  Lord  Norman, 
and  carried  the  whip  in  his  hand. 

So  like  was  he  to  Lord  Norman,  so  close  a  shadow,  that 
even  as  she  looked,  Lady  Blanche  shuddered.  It  was  as  if 
she  were  looking  at  Bruce's  ghost. 

He  raised  his  hat,  and  came  close  to  the  railings. 

"  I  need  not  ask  if  our  plot  has  prospered,  Lady  Blanche/' 
he  said ;  u  I  have  read  your  success  in  your  face.  If  we  had 
failed,  YOU  would  scarcely  have  been  able  to  study  the  stars 
fco  serenely/' 

He  spoke  in  his  usual  half-serious,  half-mocking  tone, 
which  always  made  Lady  Blanche  long  to  leave  him  at  the 
first  sound  of  it. 

She  remained  silent,  looking  down,  not  at  him,  but  at  the 
path,  her  fan  moving  slowly  to  and  fro,  for  though  the  night 
was  chilly,  a  fire  seemed  burning  within  her  that  made  her 
hot  and  feverish. 

"  Yes,  our  plot  has  worked  admirably,"  he  said.  "  The 
two  unconscious  puppets  have  been  set  dancing  to  our  tune, 
and  all  we  had  in  view  is  accomplished.  I  have  had  my  re- 
r«nge,  or  shall  have  it  in  full  when  Lord  Norman  returns  to- 
morrow ;  and  you  have  had — your  amusement !  " 

He  laughed  the  low,  sardonic  laugh  which  was  so  hateful 
to  Lady  Blanche. 

" And  now  what  remains,  Lady  Seymour  ?  Only  this — my 
poor  reward ! " 

Lady  Blanche  inclined  her  head.  The  faint  light  of  the 
young  moon  fell  on  his  face. 

It  could  not  be  other  than  handsome,  being  so  like  Bruce's ; 
but  there  was  a  deviltry,  a  sardonic  cast  in  it  that  made  it 
ta  ke*. 


MY  LADY   PRIDE.  163 

The  dadk  eyes  looking  up  iato  hers  seamed  alight  with  the 
£re  of  mockery  aixl  rtmtefy. 

"  I  am  quite  prepared  to  acknowledge  your  talents,  and  re- 
ward them/'  she  said,  coldly.  "  But  is  this  a  fitting  time  to 
discuss  the  matter  ?  We  may  be  interrupted  at  any  moment/3 

He  laughed. 

"It  is  a  time  that  suits  me,  Lady  Seymour.  The  fact  isa-;( 
it  is  the  only  time  I  have ;  to-morrow  I  leave  England  f orever^' 
I  hope— 

A  faint  gleam  of  relief  and  satisfaction  shone  in  her  eyes, 
and  he  noticed  it,  and  smiled. 

"  Forever,  I  hope !  "  he  repeated.  "  My  career  here  has 
heen  a  failure.  On  other  shores  \  may  blossom  out  into  a 
great  man,  but  my  future  prospects  have  little  interest  for 
you,  Lady  Blanche." 

"None !  "  dropped  from  her  lips  like  an  icicle.  He  laughed, 
as  if  her  coldness  pleased  him. 

"  I  can  quite  believe  that.  And  now,  to  speak  of  more 
important  things.  Miss  Carlisle  has  left  Lord  Norman  for- 
ever; there  can  be  little  doubt  of  that,  I  think.  Poor,  young 
lady,  I  am  sorry  for  her ! '  She  is  very  beautiful,  is  she  not  ?  " 

Lady  Blanche  made  a  slight  gesture  of  assent. 

"Ah,  yes !  I  should  not  know  her  if  I  saw  her  again. 
Well,  that  is  a  consoling  thing  to  know,  for  beauty  has  always 
a  good  market  value,  and  can  command  its  own  price.  But 
what  we  have  to  speak  of  is  my  price — to  put  it  vulgarly, 
Lady  Blanche.  I  think  you  will  admit " — taking  off  his  hat, 
and  running  his  white  hand  through  his  hair — "that  I  have 
used  the  situation  to  its  best  advantage,  and  that  I  have  played 
the  part  in  the  comedy  of  my  own  invention  pretty  fairly.  At 
any  rate,  if  Lord  Norman  does  not  suffer  from  the  heartache,! 
I  shall  be  very  much  surprised." 

Lady  Blanche  waved  the  fan  to  and  fro  languidlly,  but  with 
a  certain  air  of  suspense. 

"  Therefore,"  he  went  on,  "  you  will  not  deem  me  exorbi- 
tant if  I  ask  you  to  give  me  a  check  for  twenty  thousand 
pounds !" 

Lady  Blanche  started,  and  closed  the  fan  sharply. 

She  was  rich — immensely  rich — but  even  immensely  .rich 
people  do  not  think  little  of  twenty  thousand  pounds ! 


164  MY  LADY   PRIDE. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE   HOUR   OF   TRIUMPH. 

"  TWENTY  thousand  pounds ! "  repeated  Lady  Blanche 
with  very  haughty  surprise. 

He  looked  at  her  and  smiled. 

"  It  is  a  large  sum/'  he  said.  "  With  the  two  thousand  I 
have  promised,  on  your  behalf,  to  Josine,  it  is  a  fortune — that 
is,  to  most  persons — but  what  is  it  to  your  ladyship  ?  A  mere 
bagatelle !  You  are  immensely  rich ;  so  rich  that  if  it  pleased 
you,  you  could  walk  into  Howell  &  James's  and  purchase  a  set 
of  diamonds  costing  twice  this  sum,  and  no  questions  would 
be  asked.  I  think,  if  you  consider  the  matter,  Lady  Blanche, 
you  will  admit  that  you  may  gain  greater  pleasure  from  this 
day's  work  than  any  diamonds,  however  rare,  could  afford 

you." 

Lady  Blanche  leaned  against  the  stone  balustrade,  with  a 
deep  frown  on  her  white  brow. 

The  sum  demanded  was  enormous.  And  yet  what  could 
she  do  ?  When  the  separation  of  Bruce  and  Floris  had  seemed 
impossible,  she  had  promised  this  man  anything  he  liked  to 
ask  for  if  he  would  bring  it  about;  and  he  had  brought  it 
about.  She  might  have  guessed  that  his  price  would  be  ex- 
orbitant ;  she  might  have  been  prepared  for  it. 

"  Shall  I  tell  you  why  I  asked  so  large  a  sum,  Lady 
Blanche  ?  "  he  said,  flinging  his  cigar  away  and  taking  off  his 
hat  with  an  air  of  easy  assurance.  "  I  am  not,  I  think  you 
will  admit,  a  vulgar  adventurer — an  adventurer,  truly,  but 
not  a  vulgar  one — and*  I  have  no  wish  to  descend  into  the  con- 
dition of  the  vilest  of  mankind,  the  creature  who  exists  upon 
black-mail.  Lady  Blanche.  I  have  resolved  upon  asking  for 
this  large  sum  of  money  from  you,  who  can  spare  it  so  well, 
that  I  may  be  able  to  leave  England  forever.  When  I  say 
forever,  I  mean  what  I  say  to  the  hilt;  I  shall  never  return. 
The  twenty  thousand  pounds  properly  invested  will  produce 
an  income  which  will  enable  me  to  live  in  ease  and  luxury  on 
the  Continent.  If  I  had  asked  for  a  smaller  sum  I  should 
have  been  compelled  to  come  to  you  again,  not  once  or  twice, 
but  continually;  that  would  not  have  been  pleasant  for  either 
you  or  me." 

Lady  Blanche  flushed,  and  bit  her  white  lip. 


MY    LADY   PRIBE.  165 

"No!  Very  unpleasant,  rather.  Therefore,  I  have  asked 
for  this  sum  in  a  lump.  As  I  say,  I  shall  leave  England ;  you 
will  never  see  me  again,  unless  you  chance  to  meet  me  by  ac- 
cident in  one  of  your  continental  trips — perchance  on  your 
honey-moon  with  Lord  Norman — 

A  fierce  flush  dyed  Lady  Blanche's  face  as  she  looked  up 
and  saw  the  sardonic  smile  in  his  eyes. . 

"  You  will  be  relieved  of  all  dread  of  black-mail,  and  may, 
if  you  please,  forget  that  such  a  person  as  Oscar  Raymond 
ever  existed,  In  time,  I  have  no  doubt,  you  will  be  able  to 
convince  yourself  that  the  little  comedy  we  enacted  in  the 
house  yonder  was  never  performed,  excepting  in  your  fevered 
imagination.  At  any  rate,  if  you  cannot  forget  me,  it  will  be 
agreeable  to  reflect  that  I  shall  never  put  myself  in  evidence 
against  you — ; 

She  stopped  him  with  a  gesture. 

"  I  am  not  afraid  of  that,"  she  said.  "  You  may  have  sunk 
as  low — you  may  be  what  you  are  now,  but  you  were  once  a 
gentleman — 

"And  once  a  gentleman,  always  a  gentleman,"  he  finished 
for  her,  with  a  very  soft  laugh. 

"  But  if  I  do  not  fear  you,  I  have  still  to  deal  with  your 
assistant — Josine !  "  said  Lady  Blanche. 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  Josine  will  give  you  no  trouble,  Lady  Blanche,"  he  said, 
with  quiet  confidence.  "  She  will  invest  her  two  thousand 
pounds  in  a  husband  and  some  comfortable  cafe  in  the  region 
of  Leicester  Square,  and  will  settle  down  into  entire  oblivion 
of  Ballyfloe  and  all  that  occurred  there.  Besides,  I  think 
Josine  has  too  wholesome  a  fear  of  your  humble  servant  to 
ever  dream  of  betraying  us." 

There  were  a  few  moments  of  silence,  then  Lady  Blanche 
looked  down  upon  him. 

''  You  shall  have  the  money  you  ask*  for,"  she  said,  gravely. 
"  How  shall  I  give  it  to  you  ?  I  do  not  know  how  I  can  draw 
so  large  an  amount  from  the  bank  without  attracting  some 
attention  and  remark." 

"Draw  two  checks  for  ten  thousand  each,"  he  said,  coldly; 
"  and  if  any  remark  is  made,  say  that  you  are  buying  jewelry." 

She  inclined  her  head. 

"  If  you  will  please  send  them  to  this  address,"  he  said, 
handing  her  a  slip  of  paper — it  was  the  name  of  a  large  Lon- 
don hotel- — I  will  wait  until  1  receive  them2  and  then  leave 


166  MY   LADY    PKIDE. 

England  at  enoe;  ae  that,  Lady  Blanche,  we  may  »ay  fare- 
well." 

He  came  close  to  the  balustrade,  and  held  up  his  smooth, 
white  hand,  and  Lady  Blanche  touched  it  with  her  finger  tips. 

Some  impulse,  too  strong  to  be  resisted,  prompted  her  to 
say,  in  a  very  sudden  whisper : 

"  You  have  no  remorse,  then,  for  what  you  have  done  ?  " 

He  smiled  up  at  her,  a  smile  of  perfect  calmness  and  repose. 

"  Kemorse!  Certainly  not;  only  the  supremest  satisfaction. 
For  the  first  time  for  months  1  feel  at  ease — as  if  my  self-love 
had  been  avenged  and  satisfied.  Oh.  you  mean  on  that  young 
lady's  account!"  he  added,  and  lie  laughed  softly.  "No,  no 
remorse  on  her  account  either.  She  is  too  young  to  feel 
deeply;  she  will  get  over  this  little  disappointment  very 
quickly.  Josine  tells  me  that  she  is  good-looking;  I  may  pre- 
sume that  she  is  beautiful." 

"  You  saw  her,"  murmured  Lady  Blanche. 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  For  a  moment ;  I  did  not  notice  her  particularly,  and  I 
do  not  think  I  should  know  her«if  I  met  her.  Well,  she  is 
beautiful,  and  will  soon  get  another  lover.  What  is  love? 
'  Men  have  died,  and  worms  have  eaten  them/  as  Shakespeare 
says,  '  but  not  of  love/  As  for  Lord  Norman  " — and  his  face 
darkened — "  he  and  I  are  quits,  more  than  quits,  for  the  bal- 
lance  is  in  my  favor,  I  think.  Good-night,  Lady  Blanche — 
farewell !  I  wish  -you  every  happiness ! J 

And  raising  his  hat,  he  disappeared  in  the  dimness  of  the 
night. 

Lady  Blanche  shuddered  as  if  a  chill  had  passed  over  her. 

"  Bad  men's  blessings  are  good  men's  curses,"  says  the 
Spanish  proverb,  and  she  felt  as  if  she  had  been  banned. 

Drawing  her  shawl  around  her  she  went  into  the  house,  and 
the  first  person  her  gaze  fell  upon  was  Lady  Betty,  sitting 
pale  and  anxious  over  -the  fire,  her  hands  clasped,  her  brows 
knitted. 

She  looked  up  as  Lady  Blanche  entered,  and  tried  to  smile, 
but  there  were  traces  of  tears  in  her  eyes,  and  a  most  cruel 
triumph  filled  Lady  Blanche's  heart. 

"  This  woman,"  she  thought,  "  triumphed  over  me  a  short 
time  ago.  She  helped  Floris  Carlisle  to  rob  me -of  my  lover. 
Now  it  is  my  hour  to  triumph.  They  are  parted  forever,  and 
I  shall  win  him  back." 

With  tins  flaw  of  unholy  satisfaction  within  her  bosom,  she 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  167 

went  to  bed  and  slept  the  sleep  of  an  innocent  child,  for  the 
simple  reason  that  the  awful  excitement  she  had  undergone 
had  resulted  in  complete  exhaustion. 

The'  morrow  came,  and  Lady  Blanche  glided  down  to  the 
breakfast-room. 

There  were  half  a  dozen  persons  at  the  table,  and  Lady 
Betty  among  them. 

She  looked  pale,  and  anxious,  and  worried,  but  she  flushed 

Lady  Blanche  came  up  to  her  and  greeted  her  with  a  sweet, 

ni  pathetic  smile. 

u  Have  you  heard  from  Miss  Carlisle  ?  "  she  asked. 

Lady  Betty  shook  her  head.  It  seemed  as  if  she  could 
scarcely  find  courage  to  say  "  No."  0 

"  Eeally !  "  murmured  Lady  Blanche,  with  well-feigned  smv 
prise.  "  How  very  strange !  " 

"  No,  it  is  not  strange  at  all !  "  retorted  Lady  Betty.  "  I 
did  not  expect  to  hear  until  to-night.  She — she  may  not  have 
had  time  to  write  yet." 

"  I  should  have  thought  she  would  have  sent  a  post-card/' 
suggested  Lady  Blanche,  smoothly.  "  We  all  are  very  curi- 
ous and  anxious,  but  not  so  anxious  as  you,  I  dare  say,  my 
dear!" 

"  No,"  retorted  Lady  Betty;  "  I  dare  say  not! " 

A  few  minutes  afterward  she  rose  and  went  to  her  room. 

Josine  was  standing  with  an  open  letter  in  her  hand,  and 
wiping  her  eyes. 

"  What's  the  matter  now  ?  "  asked  Lady  Betty,  irritably. 

"  Oh,  miladi,  I  have  had  bad  news.  My  "only  brother, 
miladi !  And  I  have  not  seen  him  for  years !  " 

"  Oh,  said  Lady  Betty.  "And  of  course  you  want  to  go 
at  once^  is  that  it?" 

Josine  looked  hurt  and  wounded. 

"Ah,  no,  miladi,  not  at  once.     I  would,  not  be  so  ungrate- 
ful as  to  leave  you  so  suddenly.     I  have  written  to  tell  them 
to  let  me  know  if  he  gets  worse.     If  he  doesn't  I  shall  not 
i -rant  to  go,  but  if  he  does—"  and  she  sobbed. 
f     "  Very  well,"  said  Lady  Betty.     "  I  hope  for  your  sake  as 
1  /all  as  mine  that  he  will  get  better." 

Josine  dropped  a  courtesy. 

"And — and — may  I  ask  what  news  miladi  has  had  from 
Mademoiselle  Carlisle?  Pardon*  miladi,  if  I  presume  too 
touch." 


168  MY  LADY  PRIDE. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  she  had  very  carefully 
examined  the  letter-bag. 

"  There  is  ho  news,"  said  Lady  Betty,  with  a  sigh. 

Josine  held  up  her  hands  with  an  expression  of  dismay  and 
shrugged  her  shoulders. 

"Ah,  but  that  is  bad !  "  she  muttered  between  her  teeth. 

"  Hold  your  long  tongue !"  exclaimed  Lady  Betty,  peremp° 
torily,  "  and  leave  the  room." 

The  morning  wore  away.  Some  of  the  party  went  out  rid« 
ing,  others  played  tennis  or  wandered  about  the  grounds,  but 
on  all  there  seemed  to  rest  a  cloud  as  of  expectation  and  dis- 
quietude, and  everybody  looked  forward  to  the  return  of  the 
hunting  expedition.  « 

A  heavy  weight  hung  upon  Lady  Betty's  spirits,  and  she 
seemed  to  count  the  hours  that  must  elapse  before  she  must 
see  Bruce  and  tell  him  of  Floris's  sudden  disappearance. 

Luncheon  came  and  went,  and  the  dinner  hour  approached. 

If  the  hunting-party  made  good  traveling  it  would  return 
before  dusk,  and  Lady  Betty  was  standing  on  the  terrace  look- 
ing toward  the  road  that  wound  through  the  park  when  she 
saw  a  horseman  appear  in  the  distance. 

He  was  riding  very  hard  and  evidently  urging  his  tired 
horse  at  its  utmost  speed. 

Her  heart  misgave  her,  she  knew  not  why,  and,  like  most 
women  of  her  temperament,  she  looked  around  for  help  and 
company ;  and  at  the  moment,  as  if  she,  too  had  been  watch- 
ing— as  indeed  she  had — Lady  Blanche  glided  through  the 
window  and  stood  by  her  side, 

"Who  is  that  coming?"  said  Lady  Betty,  in  an  agitated 
voice. 

"  It  is  some  messenger,"  she  said,  very  quietly. 

"  Something  happened  !  "  gasped  Lady  Betty. 

Lady  Blanche  smiled  contemptuously. 

"  Why  should  you  think  so  ?  "  she  said.  "  Sir  Joseph  has 
sent  one  of  the  men  on  in  advance  to  tell  them  to  put  off  the 
dinner  for  an  hour — that  is  all." 

Lady  Betty  tried  to  smile. 

"I  wish  I  had  your  nerves,  Blanche,"  she  said,  almost 
spitefully. 

"  It  isn't  a  question  of  nerves,  but  of  common  sense,"  re- 
torted La  civ  Blanche,  coldly.  "What  could  have  happened?" 

"  I  don't  know  *  we  shall  soon  learn,"  answered  Lady  Betty^ 
grimly. 


MY   LADY    PIHDE. 

The  man  rode  fearfully  hard,,  and  soon  passed  into  the  road 
leading  to  the  house ;  and  they  saw  that  the  horse  was  covered 
with  foam  and  nearly  exhausted. 

One  or  two  others,,  attracted  and  alarmed  by  the  sight  of 
the  horse,  had  joined  th^m  on  the  terrace,  and  as  the  man 
rode  up  and  flung  himself  out  of  the  saddle  almost  at  their 
feet,  one  of  the  gentlemen  ran  down  the  steps  to  him. 

It  was  Donald. 

"A  letter  for  Lady  Pendleton,"  he  said,  hoarsely;  he  was 
as  nearly  exhausted  as  the  poor  beast  he  had  ridden. 

"  Give  it  to  me !  "  exclaimed  Lady  Betty,  snatching  it. 

The  rest  drew  away  from  her,  all  but  Lady  Blanche,  who 
remained  where  she  stood  at  her  side. 

Lady  Betty  tore  the  envelope  open,  and  glanced  at  the  scrap 
of  paper  inside,  then  staggered  against  the  balustrade,  with  a 
faint  cry. 

Lady  Blanche,  without  the  slightest  hesitation,  took  the 
letter  from  her  hand  and  read  it. 

She  did  not  stagger  as  Lady  Betty  had  done ;  no  cry  escaped 
her  lips;  but  they  all  noticed  that  she  turned  white  to  the  lips, 
a  deadly  white,  awful  to  see  and  remember. 

For  a  moment  only,  then  she  looked  around,  and  in  a  low, 
tended  and  fixed  firmly  on  vacancy,  her  fingers  clutching  the 
scrap  of  paper. 

For  a  moment  she  stood  as  if  turned  to  stone,  her  eyes  dis- 
hard  voice,  so  unlike  her  usual  smooth  tones,  said: 

"  Lord  Norman  has  met  with  an  accident;  he  is  ii*  great 
danger ! " 

There  was  a  murmur  of  alarm  and  sympathy,  as  thv  group 
,  gathered  around  Lady  Blanche. 

With  a  piteous  cry,  Lady  Betty  held  out  her  hand. 

"  Give  me  the  letter !  Oh,  what  shall  I  do  ?  Poor  Bruce ! 
^Poor  Bruce!  I  can't  read  it!"  she  sobbed.  "Will  some 
lone—" 

One  of  the  gentlemen  took  it  from  her  trembling  hand  and 
read  it  aloud. 

Sir  Joseph  had  written  a  few  lines  only,  saying- that  Lord 
Norman  had  met  with  a  serious  accident,  and  that  one  or 
both  of  the  medical  men  who  were  staying  in  the  house  was 
ito  come  on  to  Scarfross  with  the  necessary  things. 

He  added  in  a  postscript :  "  T  need  not  exhort  you  to  be 
careful  not  to  alarm  Miss  Carlisle !  " 


170  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

As  those  word*  were  read  out.  Lady  Betty  groaned  and  put 
her  hands  before  heir  face. 

"  Oh !  what  is  to  be  done  ?  "  she  wailed.  "  Do  you  think  he 
is  killed  ? — no,  not  killed,  or  they  would  not  send  for  a  doctor ! 
Where  is  Doctor  Greene  ?  " 

Some  one  set  off  to  find  the  young  doctor,  who  was  playing 
tennis,  and  came  bounding  on  to  the  terrace  alert  and  ready 
witted. 

"  What  is  to  be  done  ?  "  panted  Lady  .Betty,  who,  like  most 
of  her  class,  was  thrown  into  a  complete  state  of  helpless  de- 
spair. 

Suddenly  a  shiver  ran  through  Lady  Blanche's  frame,  and, 
as  if  she  had  recovered  from  an  awful  stupor,  she  turned  to 
Doctor  Greene. 

"  There  is  no  time  to  lose/'  she  said,  in  a  low,  hard  voice. 
"  Will  you  start  at  once,  Doctor  Greene  ?  I  will  see  that  a 
conveyance  follows  you  with  anything  you  may  order." 

He  glanced  at  her  white,  set  face  approvingly. 

"  I  will  write  a  list  of  what  I  shall  require,"  he  said.  Then, 
as  he  turned  to  hurry  away,  he  stopped  and  looked  around. 
"  This  Scarf ross  is  a  mere  hut,  quite  solitary  in  the  hills,  is  it 
not — I  mean  there  is  not  likely  to  be  any  women-folk,  who 
could  nurse  Lord  Norman  ?  " 

"  It  is  simply  a  rough,  hut-like  place,  in  a  perfect  wilder- 
ness," some  one  quickly  answered. 

"  Very  well,  then,"  he  said,  decisively ;  "  some  one  you  can 
rely  upon  had  better  come  on  after  me  in  the  carriage,"  he 
said,  and  ran  off. 

Lady  Blanche  stood  for  a  moment,  as  if  collecting  all  her 
mental  and  physical  strength;  then  she  went  down  the  ter- 
race and  around  to  the  stables. 

There  she  found  a  couple  of  grooms  wiping  down  Donald's 
poor  horse,  and  trying  to  make  him  comfortable ;  and,  seated 
on  an  upturned  barrow,  with  a  noggin  of  the  best  whiskey  in 
his  hand,  was  Donald  himself. 

The  appearance  of  the  "  grand  lady  "  in  their  midst  flus- 
tered the  men  somewhat.     She  went  up  to  Donald  quickjy. 
.     "  Will  you  tell  me  how  the  accident  happened  ?"  she  asked. 

Donald  took  off  his  glengarry,  and  told  her  in  his  rough, 
guttural,  broken  English : 

"  It  was  all  for  the  lad's  sake,  me  leddie;  he  gave  his  life— 
if  so  be  the  laird  dies— for  the  young  boy !  Poor  boy ;  he's 
almost  daft  over  it,  and  well-nigh  broken-hearted!  It  was  a 


MY   LADY   PRTDE.      „  171 

Uoble  thing  to  da,  me  leddie,  and  a  sore  sight  to  see  so  grand 
a  man  lying  broken  and  bleeding.  It's  a  strange  thing,  too, 
me  leddie,  that  Lord  Brace  had  a  warning  the  night  before. 
He  could  not  sleep,  and  came  to  me  to  know  if  he  could  ride 
back  here.  Strange  that  were,  now!  *'  and  Donald  shook  his 
head  gravely,  feeling  convinced  that  Lord  Bruce  had  received 
a  direct  "  warning." 

Lad  Blanche  listened  with  lowered  lids  and  tightly-sel 
lips. 

"And— and  do  you  think  he  will  die?  "she  asked,  hoarselj, 
each  word  leaving  her  white  lips  as  if  it  hurt  her. 

Donald  shook  his  head  and  took  up  his  whiskey. 

*'  He's  sort  hurt,"  he  said,  grimly. 

Lady  Blanche  put  her  hand  to  her  heart  as  if  she  had  re- 
ceived a  dagger  thrust;  then  she  looked  at  the  old  man's 
rugged  face  with  a  fixed  determination. 

"  Donald,"  she  said,  "  a  doctor — Doctor  Greene — is  going  to 
ride  out  to  Scarfross  at  once,  and  a  carriage  is  to  follow.  Will 
you  see  about  the  horses?  And,  Donald,  will  you  see  that  a 
lady's  saddle  is  put  upon  one  ?  " 

"And  what  for  ?  "  he  demanded,  staring  at  her. 

"  For  me,"  she  said,  gently. 

"For  the  leddies!"  he  exclaimed.  "But  it's  no  possible 
you'll  be  thinking  of  riding  through  the  dark  night  to  Scar- 
fross—" 

"  I  am  not  only  thinking  of  it,  but  I  mean  to  do  it,"  she 
said,  calmly.  "  I  am  a  good  rider,  and  strong,"  she  said. 
"  If  Doctor  Greene  can  go,  I  can  go !  The  night  is  not  dark. 
Lord  Norman  is  lying  there  without  a  woman  near  him — " 

"  Say  no  more,  leddie,"  said  the  old  man,  doggedly.  "  I'll 
saddle  a  horse  for  ye,  and  what's  more,  I  will  ride  back  to 
Scarfross,  too." 

Lady  Blanche  went  back  to  the  house  without  a  word,  and) 
reaching-her  room,  threw  herself  on  her  knees  beside  the  bed 
and  hid  her  face  in  her  hands. 

And  this  was  her  triumph,  was  it?  It  was  for  this  that 
she  had  plotted  and  schemed,  that  the  man  she  loved  should 
be  dying,  dying  out  in  a  hut  in  the  wilderness.  Dying ! 

Oh,  Heaven,  if  he  should  die  before  she  could  reach  him, 
before  she  could  see  his  face,  touch  his  hand  once  more! 

With  a  cry  of  despair  she  rose  and  began  putting  on  her 
habit  with  feverish  haste. 

She  had  scarcely  got  it  on  than  there  came  a  knock  at 


MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

the  door,  and  Lady  Betty  entered  the  room  without  cere- 
mony. 

She  was  dressed  for  the  journey,  and  was  still  trembling 
with  agitation. 

"  Have  you  ordered  the  carriage,  Blanche — "  she  said,  then 
she  stopped  short  and  stared  at  her.  "  Why  have  you  got 
your  habit  on  ?  Where  are  you  going  ?  " 

"  I  am  going  to  Scarfross,"  said  Lady  Blanche,  coldly. 

"To  Scarf ross?  Why?'-'  demanded  Lady  Betty.  "Why 
should  you  go  ?  " 

"  Because  it  pleases  me,"  returned  Lady  Blanche,  haughti- 
ly, but  with  a  dangerous  gleam  in  her  eyes. 

Lady  Betty  looked  at  her  jealously. 

"  There  is  no  occasion  for  you  to  go,"  she  said.  "  I  am 
going—" 

"  What  is  that  to  me  ?  "  said  Lady  Blanche,  turning  on  her 
suddenly,  with  white  face  and  flashing  eyes.  "  What  is  it  to 
me  whether  you  are  going  or  not  ?  I  am  going !  " 

"  But  you  cannot  ride — in  the  night !  "  said  Lady  Betty. 
"  Why  not  come  in  the  carriage  ?  " 

"  In  the  carriage !  "  scornfully.  "  Do  you  know  how  long 
it  will  take?  Do  you  think  I  should  keep  sane  while  it 
dragged  its  way  along!  No,  I  am  going  to  ride.  I  would 
walk  if  there  was  no  other  way.  -What  is  it  to  me  who  die  is 
going  ?  I  am  nearest  him — " 

Lady  Betty's  eyes  filled. 

"  You  forget  Moris,  Blanche,"  she  said,  kindly. 

Lady  Blanche  winced  as  if  she  had  been  struck,  then  her 
face  crimsoned  and  her  lips  parted  as  if  for  sudden  breath. 

"  Floris — Floris  Carlisle !  "  she  said,  with  suppressed  scorn 
and  vehemence.  "Yes,  she  may  be  nearer  to  him  than  I  am! 
I  You  taunt  me  with  that,  do  you !  Where  is  she,  then  ?  Why 
is  she  not  here  ?  Perhaps  you  do  not  know — but,  yes,  you  do, 
as  well  as  I !  She  has  deserted  him !  And  it  is  I — I  who  have 
loved  him  all  through — who  go  to  him  now!" 

And  speechless — for  what  could  she  say  ? — Lady  Bettj 
crying  from  the  room. 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  173 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

LINKED   WITH   THE   PAST. 

IN  the  little  drawing-room  of  the  cottage  at  Westbury 
Floris  sat,  with  her  head  bowed  upon  her  hands,  looking  into 
the  fire. 

A  silence  that  could  be  felt  brooded  over  the  house ;  the  old! 
clock  on  the  stairs,  whose  tick  she  could  remember  as  far 
back  as  she  could  remember  anything,  even  that  had  beeni 
hushed  by  sympathetic  hands. 

Motionless  as  a  carved  figure  she  sat,  the  fire-light  falling 
fitfully  on  her  pale  face,  showing  like  marble  over  the  deep- 
black  dress. 

A  week  had  pass'ed  since  she  left  Ballyfloe  and  that  long 
night  journey,  and  she  was  now  alone  in  the  world. 

To  the  poor,  weak,  tired  mother  the  long  day  of  peace  and 
rest  had  come,  and  the  girl  who  at  triis  moment  needed  her 
more  sorely  than  she  had  ever  needed  her  was  motherless  and 
solitary. 

Alone — alone ! 

All  day  long  the  word  seemed  to  echo  dully  in  her  be- 
numbed heart,  until  she  longed,  like  the  Psalmist  of  old,  for 
the  white  wings  of  death  to  bear  her  to  her  mother's  side. 

And  yet  friends  had  been  very  good  to  her — the  friends  of 
her  old,  past,  girlish  life  had  done  their  very  best,  but  how 
poor  is  the  very  best  that  can  be  done  in  such  an  hour ! 

No  sympathy,  however  tender  and  thoughtful,  can  lighten 
the  darkness  of  the  hour  of  bereavement,  or  take  off  the  keen 
edge  of  the  great  trouble. 

One  gleam  of  consolation  alone  pierced  the  gloom,  and  that 
was  the  knowledge  that  she  had  been  in  time  to  see  the  poor 
mother  before  she  died — in  time  to  hear  her  very  last  words 
and  receive  her  last  blessing. 

There  had  scarcely  been  time  for  more  than  that,  and  Mrs. 
Carlisle  had  died  in  the  full  comforting  assurance  that  she* 
should  leave  Floris  with  a  happy  future  before  her. 

Almost  her  last  words  had  been  of  Lord  Bruce,  and  her  be- 
lief that  he  would  make  Floris  happy;  almost  her  lafet 
thoughts  had  been  of  the  glorious  future  that  awaited  her  as 
Countess  of  N"orman. 

And  F^ris  could  not  summon  heart  to  tell  her  the  truth— •* 


174  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

could  not  find  strength  to  destroy  the  comfort  the  poor,  dying 
woman  drew  from  the  conviction  that  her  child  would  be  pro- 
vided for. 

And  now,  as  she  sat  looking  into  the  fire  with  dry,  burning 
eyes,  Floris  was  thinking  of  him  and  the  brief,  happy  past. 

Through  all  the  week  she  had  been  expecting  some  word 
from  him; 

It  could  not  be  anything  that  would  not  add  to  her  misery, 
for  what  could  he  say  that  would  explain  aw#y  what  she  had 
9een  that  fateful  morning? 

But  still  she  had  expected  and  longed  for  it. 

She  had  thought  that  he  would  write  one  line,  perhaps,  ad- 
mitting his  guilt  and  imploring  her  forgiveness ;  and  she 
would  have  sent  him  her  pardon  ,and  wished  him  all  happiness. 

But  no  line  had  come — no,  not  a  single  word. 

If  he  had  died — if  they  both  had  died — the  silence  between 
them  could  not  have  been  more  complete ! 

There  was  no  friendly  spirit  to  tell  her  that  in  that  moment 
he  was  lying  between  life  and  death  in  the  vast  solitude  of  the 
hills,  unconscious  of  anything — ignorant  of  all  that  happened 
to  her  and  to  himself ! 

To  fyer  his  conduct  seemed  black  as  night,  black  as  the  sor- 
sow  that  had  befallen  her ;  and  in  her  heart  echoed  the  dreary 
word,  "  alone !" 

So  she  sat  in  the  red  fire-light,  letting  the  hours  slip  by  with 
weary  feet,  so  lost  to  the  world  that  when  the  servant  stole  in 
with  hushed  footsteps  and  spoke  to  her  she  cfid  not  hear  her. 

The  girl  came  up  and  touched  her  with  pitying  respect. 

"A  gentleman — Mr.  Morrel,  miss,"  she  said. 

And  Mr.  Morrel  came  in. 

Floris  rose  to  receive  him,  and  held  out  her  white  hand. 

The  little  lawyer  took  it  and  looked  at  her  with  a  sympa- 
thetic pity,  which  was  so  strange  an  emotion  to  him  that  it 
made  him  quite  embarrassed. 

It  is  to  be  presumed  that  even  middle-aged  attorneys  retain 
a  sense  of  the  beautiful,  and  the  lovely  young  face,  never 
lovelier  than  now  in  its  clear  pallor,  and  with  the  sad,  wistful 
light  in  the  eloquent  eyes,  touched  him  deeply. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  intrude  at  so  late  an  hour,  Miss  Carlisle," 
he  began ;  but  Floris  stopped  him  with  a  faint  smile. 

"  1  am  very  glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  Morrel.  I  was  getting 
very — lonely." 

u  Yes,  yes,"  he  said,  in  his  old,  sharp  way.    How  well  Floris 


MY   LADY   1'RIDK.  175 

femembered  it  on  the  occasion  when  he  came  with  Lord  Nor- 
man's offer.     "  No  doubt — dreadful  loss." 

"  For  me,  yes/'  said  Moris,  bravely,  and  with  a  steadfast 
look  in  her  eyes ;  "  but  not  for — for — my  mother.  You  were 
a  kind  friend  to  her,  Mr.  Morrel,"  she  added,  with  that  gentle 
sweetness  which  atoned  for  much  of  her  pride,  and  was  th$ 
secret  charm  which  bewitched  all  who  came  in  contact  witl 
her. 

"  No,  no ;  aM  in  the  way  of  business,  Miss  Carlisle ;  nothing 
more,  I  assure  you/'  he  responded,  hurriedly.  "Always  found 
your  poor  mother  anxious  to  avoid  giving  trouble  and — and — 
-might  I  ring  for  a  light  for  you  ?  " 

"  Thanks/'  said  Floris.  She  had  grown  so  used  to  the 
grim  darkness  that  had  surrounded  her  that  she  had  become 
•enamored  of  it.  The  girl  brought  the  lamp,  and  Mr.  Morrel 
sat  down  and  fidgeted  with  his  gloves.  Out  of  respect  for 
Floris  he  was  dressed  in  mourning  and  had  thought  fit  to  don 
a  hat-band  which  would  have  been  considered  deep  enough  for 
the  loss  of  his  own  father. 

Floris  had  asked  for  some  tea,  and  she  gave  him  a  cup  now 
as  simply  and  quietly,  almost  as  cheerfully,  as  sbe  had  done 
months  ago. 

There  are  some  proud  natures  who,  like  the  Spartan  boy, 
will  hide  the  fox  that  gnaws  at  their  heart,  and  Floris  was  one 
of  them. 

"  Will  you  take  some  more  sugar?  I  am  sorry  there  is  no 
cream." 

"  Don't  mention  it,  Miss  Carlisle,"  he  said.  Her  fortitude 
amazed  him,  and  pleased  him,  too,  for  he  was  going  to  try  it 
to  its  utmost.  "  When  I  was  here  last,  Miss  Carlisle,"  he  said, 
coughing  and  aheming,  "  I  promised  to  look  into,  the  late 
Mrs.  Carlisle's  affairs,  and — ahem! — I  have  done  so." 

"  Yes  ?  "  said  Floris.  She  had  sunk  into  the  easy.-chair  and 
sat  looking  at  him,  her  lovely  eyes  dreamily  fixed  on  his  dry, 
wrinkled,  and  not  unkindly  face.  "  Yes,  you  have  been  very 
kind,  Mr.  Morrel;  I  do  not  know  what  I  should  have  done 
without'you." 

"  Not  at  all,  not  at  all ! "  he  said,  waving  his  hand,  depre- 
catingly.  "  All  in  the  way  of  business,  miss.  Only  did  my 
duty.  I  was  your  father's  legal  adviser  before  you  were  born ; 
in  fact,  I  have  had  the  Carlisle  business  in  my  hands  ever  since 
I  entered  the  glorious  profession  of  the  law." 

Floris 'inclined  her , head ;  though  her  eyes  were  fixed  on  his, 


176  MY  LADY  PRIDE. 

her  thoughts  were  wandering  miles  away — to  Billyfloe,  to 
Lady  Betty,  to  Bruce — ah,  yes,  to  Bruce ! 

"  I  don't  suppose  any  one  knew  more  of  the  great  lawsuit, 
Norman  vs.  Carlisle,  than  I  did,"  he  went  on,  sipping  his  tea. 
"A  wonderful  lawsuit — and  wonderfully — most  romantically 
concluded,"  and  he  bowed  to  Floris. 

Her  face  flushed  for  a  moment  at  the  name  of  "  Norman," 
then  went  pale  again.  Eomantically  concuded  indeed!  If 
he  could  but  have  guessed  how  romantically,'  even  the  dry,  old 
lawyer  as.  he  was  would  not  have  been  so  complacent. 

"  But  to  return  to  the  business  in  hand,"  he  said,  with  a 
little  cough.  "  I  have  been  going  into  the  late  Mrs.  Carlisle's 
affairs,  and  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  they  have  not  proved,  as 
satisfactory  as  I  could  desire — no,  not  nearly  as  satisfactory," 
and  he  shook  his  head. 

Floris  turned  her  sad,  wistful  eyes  upon  him  for  a  moment. 

She  had  no  idea  as  to  .where  his  words  were  drifting. 

Since  her  mother's  death  there  had  been  one  or  two  inter- 
views, in  each  of  which  he  had  talked  and  she  had  listened, 
but  understanding  little  or  nothing. 

"  I  am  very  sorry,"' she  said,  more  for  his  sake  than  her  own. 

"  Yes,  so  am  I.  I  had  hoped  that,  upon  ^examination,  the 
estate  would  have  come  out  pretty  flourishing.  It  was  rather 
a  confused  and  tangled  business — the  lawsuit  had  entaile'd  a 
great  loss,  and  there  were  several  mortgages ;  but  I  had  hoped 
that  we^should  have  been  able  to  clear  them  off — I  am  afraid 
I  don't  make  'myself  plain,"  he  broke  off,  for  Floris's  gaze  had 
settled  on  the  fire  again,  with  a  far-off  expression. 

"  I — I  beg  your  pardon,"  she  said,  meekly.  "  Yes^  I  un- 
derstand. You  mean  that  I  am  not  as — rich  as  you  thought 
I  should  be?" 

He  looked  at  her  curiously. 

I  "  Exactly,  that  is  what  I  was  trying  to  convey,  Miss  Car- 
lisle. The  estate  had  been  so  much  encumbered  and  entan- 
gled that  your  mother  scarcely  knew  how  she  really  stood/' 

"  Poor  mamma !  "  murmured  Floris,  slowly. 

"And  having  gone  into  matters  I  find  that  the  prospect  is 
not  nearly  so  inviting  as  it  should  be,"  he  continued,  smooth- 
ing out  his  gloves  and  frowning  at  the  tea-cup. 

Floris  watched  him  with  listless  attention. 

"  To  add  to  our  difficulties,"  he  resumed,  having  arranged 
his  gloves  to  his  satisfaction,  "  the  principal  mortgagee  has 
chosen  this  particular  time  to  foreclose.  He  could  not  have 


MY  LADY   PRIDE.  1W 

chosen  a  wcrse,  because  property  is  at  a  very  low  ebb  in  the 
market,  and  a  sale  would  not  do  more  than  realize  a  half  of 
Vie  money  lent.  I  am  afraid  I  scarcely  make  myself  under- 
stood?" 

"  Yes,  oh,  yes  !  "  said  Floris,  calmly. 

But  in  truth  she  did  not  realize  all  that  his  legal  phrase- 
ology implied. 

"  I  have  endeavored  to  persuade  him,  the  principal  mort- 
gagee, to  waive  his  claim  to  foreclosure,  but  I  have  not  suc- 
ceeded. He  wants  the  money,  and  in  simple  language,  Miss 
Carlisle,  he  must  have  it." 

"  Yes,  oh,  yes !  "  said  Floris  again. 

"  Therefore  it  will  be  necessary,  indeed,  inevitably  that  the 
estate  should  be  sold." 

"Yes,"  said  Floris.  "Please  sell  it  all— all  but  the  cot- 
tage. I  would  like  to  keep  this  and  live  here." 

Poor  Mr.  Morrel  coiighed  and  knitted  his  brows. 

They  say  that  lawyers  always  dread  having  dealings  with' 
female  clients,  they  are  so  long  in  understanding  exactly  hew 
the  land  lies,  and  certainly  Floris  was  long  in  understanding, 

"  But,  my  dear .  Miss  Carlisle,"  he  said,  leaning  forward, 
"  I'm  afraid  this  cottage  must  be  sold." 

It  had  come  at  last ! 

Floris  sat  up  and  looked  at  him. 

"  The  cottage  must  be  sold  ?  But — but,  Mr.  Morrel,  I 
wish  to  live  here.  I  wish  to  live  here  as — as  my  mother  did !  " 

He  frowned  and  brushed  an  imaginary  crumb  from  his 
coat  sleeve. 

"  I  am  very  sorry,  but  I  am  afraid  this  cottage  must  be 
sold,  Miss  Carlisle.  Of  course,  I  am  not  aware  that,  placed  as 
you  are,  this  is  merely  a  matter  of  arrangement.  You  are  to 
be,  if  you  are  not  now,  the  possessor  of  immense  wealth,  and 
can  buy  the  cottage  for  yourself." 

"  I  don't  understand,"  said  Floris,  slowly. 

Mr.  Morrel  grew  desperate. 

"  In  one  word,  Miss  Carlisle,  we  find  that  your  mother's 
estate,  if  sold,  will  barely  pay  off  the  mortgage  upon  it,  and 
— and  that  if  you  were  not  betrothed  to  Lord  Norman  you 
would  be  penniless." 

Fioris  rose,  white  and  calm,  dreadfully  calm. 

"What!    What  did  you  say?"  she  asked,  very  quietly. 

Mr.  Morrel,  driven  into  a  corner,  pulled  himself  together. 

"  That  is  the  simple  English  of  it,  Miss  Carlisle,"  he  said. 


178  MY    LADY    PRIDE. 

"  We  find  that  the  liens  on  the  estate  are  so  great  that  to  meei 
them  everything  must  be  sacrificed." 

Floris  stood,  leaning  her  hand  on  the  table. 

"  But — but  there  is  my  own  money !  "  she  said,  faintly. 

Mr  Morrel  wagged  his  head. 

It  was  certainly  hard  work  having  to  do  business  with  a 
lady,  and  a  young  one,  especially. 

"You  forget,  Miss  Carlisle,  that  your  own  little  fortune 
went  in  paying  the  costs  of  the  last  lawsuit  between  you  and 
Lord  Norman,"  he  replied. 

She  shuddered  at  sound  of  the  name. 

"  Then — then  I  am  penniless  ?  "  she  said. 

He  smiled. 

"  Well,  yes,  ,if  you  put  it  as  bluntly  as  that,  you  are,"  he 
said.  "  But,"  and  he  smiled  unctuously,  with  quiet  enjoy- 
ment, "that  is  a  small  matter  to  the  future  Countess  of 
Norman !  " 

Floris  turned  deathly  pale,  but  her  eyes  never  left  his  face. 

"  Mr.  Morrel,"  she  said,  quietly  and  calmly,  "  you  are 
laboring  under  a  misapprehension.  lam  not  the  future 
Countess  of  l^orman." 

"  Not — not — not  the  future — but,  my  dear  Miss  Carlisle, 
all  the  world  knows  of  your  engagement !  " 

"All  the  world  knew  it,  perhaps,"  said  Floris,  steadily, 
though  her  eyes  wavered  and  her  lips  quivered.  "  But  not 
all  the  world,  it  seems,  knows  that  the  engagement  is  broken 
off." 

"Broken  off! "  he  exclaimed,  staring  through  his  spectacles 
aghast  at  her  words.  "  Do  you  mean  to  say,  Miss  Carlisle, 
that  you  are  not  engaged  to  marry  Lord  Norman  ?  " 

Floris  shook  her  head.  His  amazement  and  consternation 
almost  amused  her. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  "  the — the  engagement  is  broken  off,  Mr. 
Morrel.  You  must  not  take  Lord  Norman  into  your  calcula- 
tions." 

"  But  that  is  just  what  I  have  been  doing!"  he  said,  stolidly. 
"  I  was  under  the  impression  that  you  were  betrothed  to  the 
earl,  and  that — that  in  short — good  heavens,  my  dear  young 
lady,  how  did  this  happen?"  and  the  poor  man  rubbed  his 
knees  in  a  state  as  nearly  approaching  agitation  as  a  lawyer 
permits  himself. 

In  her  despair  and  misery  Floris  laughed,  actually  laughed. 

*  What  does  it  matter  ?  "  she  said.    "  Besults  are  all  you 


MY    LADY    PRIDE.  179 

lawyers  care  for,  Mr.  Morrel,  and  I  have  given  you  the  result, 
There  is  no  engagement  between  Lord  Norman  and  myself. 
It  ceased  before— before  my  mother's  death." 

"  Great  Heaven ! "  he  exclaimed.  "  Dear  me !  good  gra- 
cious !  Then — then  you  are  actually  penniless !  " 

She  smiled. 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  so/'  she  said,  so  calmly  that  he  stared  at 
her.  "  It  sounds  very  dreadful,  but  I  suppose  it  is  not  so  bad 
as  it  sounds." 

He  was  silent  for  a  moment,  then  he  said,  almost  to  him- 
self: 

"  Lord  Norman  would  refund  her  private  fortune/' 

She  heard  him  and  turned*,  upon  him  almost  fiercely. 

"  Mr.  Morrel,  let  us  understand  each  other/'  she  said.  "  If 
you  think  of  asking  any  favor  from  Lord  Norman,  cast  aside 
the  idea  at  once.  I  would  rather  die  than  accept  a- crust  of 
bread  from  him !  "  her  voice  grew  thick  and  heavy.  "  Put  all 
thought  of  Lord  Norman  out  of  your  mind.  Think  of  me  as 
simply  Floris  Carlisle ;  penniless,  if  you  like — but  beholden  to 
uo  man/' 

He  looked  at  her  as  she  stood  erect  in  front  of  the  fire,  and 
his  thoughts  went  back  to  the  evening  long  ago  when  she  had 
written  her  note  of  defiance  to  Lord  Norman's  offer. 

He  shook  his  head. 

"  Think  what  might  be  done  in  that  quarter,"  he  com- 
menced, but  she  interrupted  him. 

"  Mr.  Morrel,  you  are  my  lawyer,  not  his — " 

"  Certainly." 

"  Then  I  forbid  you — forbid  you,  remember — to  com- 
municate with  him.  Let  happen  what  may ;  let  them  sell  the 
house  over  my  head — the  very  chair  I  have  sat  upon ;  let  them 
do  what  they  will  and  can,  but  do  not  think  I  will  permit  you 
to  apply  to  Lord  Norman !  " 

"  My  dear  young  lady,"  he  pleaded — "  a  lovers'  quarrel  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  with  a  wild,  despairing  smile,  "  it  is  a 
i  lovers'  quarrel,  if  you  like,  Mr.  Morrel;  but  it  will  last  a  life- 
time !  " 
;     The  poor  man  did  not  know  what  to  say  or  do. 

He  had  been  comforting  himself  with  the  reflection  that 
although  the  Carlisle  estate  had  disappeared,  it  mattered 
little,  seeing  that  she  was  to  marry  Lord  Norman  and  become 
Countess  of  Norman;  and  now  she  had  said  that  it  was  not 
to  be, 


180  MY   LADY   PRIDE, 

He  got  up  as  bewildered    and  flushed  as  ever  he  had  been 

in  his  life. 

"  May  I  ask,  Miss  Carlisle,"  he  said,  "  what  you  intend  to 
do?" 

She  looked  at  him  vaguely. 

"  I  do  not  know  yet,"  she  said,  speaking  as  bravely  as  she 
could;  "but  I  will  let  you  know  as  soon  as  I  know  myself . 
At  any  rate,  I  must  leave  here,"  and  she  looked  round  with  a? 
sigh. 

Mr.  Morrel  drew  a  long  breath. 

"  Miss  Carlisle,"  he  said,  "  I  am  an  old  man,  or  nearly  so,' 
and — and  I  have  no  one  to  consider  but  myself.  If— if  you 
will  allow  me  to  offer  you  any  assistance — I  have  been  con- 
nected with  your  family  for  many  years,  and  have  reaped  sub- 
stantial benefit  from  the  connection — I  say  if  you  will  allow 
( me  to  offer  you — " 

Floris  put  out  her  hand.  For  the  first  time  her  eyes  filled 
with  tears. 

"  JSTo,  no !  "  she  said.  "  I — I  cannot  accept  that.  I  am 
young  and  strong — oh,  I  am  very  strong !— and  I  can  fight  my 
own  way.  There  are  so  many  things  a  woman  can  do  now, 
and  I  shall  find  something.  But  I  am  very  grateful — very.  I 
— I — will  you  go  now,  please  ?  I  am  feeling  tired  and  upset." 

He  took  up  his  hat  and  held  out  his  hand. 

"  Good-by,  Miss  Carlisle.  I  should  feel  very  much  obliged 
if  you  would  write  to  me  if  you  want  any  assistance.  I — er — 
bless  my  soul,  this  is  very  sad !  "  and  blowing  his  nose  he  got 
out  of  the  house. 

When  one  is  suffering  from  two  such  sorrows  as  had  befallen 
Floris,  one  does  not  think  much  of  a  third.  It  would  seem 
as  if  the  human  soul  were  capable  of  so  much  miser}^  and  no 
more;  and  that  when  the  limit  has  been  passed  all  that  hap- 
pens afterward  is  borne  in  a  happy-go-lucky  frame  of  mind 
that  may  be  despair  or  the  indifference  of  actual  exhaustion. 

Floris  had  thought  that  she  would  be  permitted  to  live  on 
the  rest  of  her  life  in  the  seclusion  of  the  cottage;  but  if  it* 
was  not  to  be,  well,  it  was  not  to  be,  and  there  was  an  end1 
of  it. 

The  wide  world  lay  before  her,  helpless  and  friendless,  and 
she  faced  it  with  a  touch  of  the  old  pride  of  self-reliance  which 
had  always  distinguished  her. 

Over  the  falseness  of  her  lover  and  the  death  of  her  mother 


181 

she  had  shed  main'  tears,  but  over  the  loss  of  her  money  she 
had  scarcely  expended  a  sigh. 

Mr  Morrel,  who  came  down  almost  daily,  was  astonished  at 
the  calmness  she  displayed. 

Over  and  over  again  he  begged  her  to  try  and  think  if  tlieiv 
was  not  some  friend  to  whom  she  could  apply  for  help,  some. 
relation  to  whom  she  could  go;  but  Floris  always  shook  her 
head  with  a  faint  smile. 

"  I  have  no  one  to  whom  I  could  apply,"  she  said.  "  As  to 
friends — "  she  thought  of  Lady  Betty  with  a  sigh. 

She  could  not  go  to  her.  She  could  not  hold  any  communi- 
cation with  her,  for  if  she  did  so  she  might  be  brought  in  con- 
tact with  Lord  Norman,  and  that  would  be  worse  than  death 
by  starvation.  There  were  friends  in  Worthing,  old  friends 
of  her  mother,  who  would  have  helped  her,  but  Floris  had 
persistently  refused  to  see  them.  They  were  all  dying  of 
curiosity  to  know  ftrhy  the  engagement  had  been  broken  off, 
and  they  would  ask  questions  and  torture  her  beyond  en- 
durance. 

"  No,"  she  told  him,  "  there  was  no  friend  of  whom  she 
could  ask  assistance." 

"  I  think  you  are  very — excuse  me,  Miss  Carlisle — very 
proud  !  "  said  poor  Mr.  Morrel,  in  despair,  and  Floris  had 
looked  at  him  absently. 

"Am  I  ?  "  she  said,  with  the  same  faint  smile.  "  Perhaps 
I  am.  I  used  to  be  proud,  at.  least  they  used  to  call  me  so, 
and  perhaps  I  am  so  still.  But  I  am  not  afraid;  I  am  young 
and  strong,  and  there  must  be  something  in  the  big  world  for 
me  to  do." 

"  Yes,"  he  assented.  "  You  are  young — I  don't  know  about 
strong,  and  you  are — "  he  was  going  to  say  "  beautiful,"  but 
he  stopped  himself  in  time  with  a  dry  little  cough. 

"T  cannot  go, as  a  companion  again,"  said  Floris,  with  a 
trace  of  sudden  color  on  her  face.  "  They  would  want  refer- 
ences, and  I  cannot  give  those." 

The  lawyer  looked  distressed.  He  knew  nothing  of  what 
had  happened  up  in  the  Highlands ;  something  dreadful  it 
must  have  been,  he  thought,  to  bring  about  so  sudden  and 
complete  a  separation  between  her  and  Lord  Norman,  and  to 
make  her  so  determined  to  hold  no  communication  with  her 
recent  friends. 

"  I  don't  see  what  you  are  to  do ;  indeed  I  don't,"  he  said> 
in  sad  perplexity. 


182  M¥  LADY  PRIDE. 

"  There  must  be  something,"  responded  Fiona. 

"  If  you  only  allow  me  to  be  your  banker— "  he  stammered 
— "  I  mean  until  brighter  days — " 

But  Floris  shook  her  head. 

"  No,  no,,"  she  said.  "  I  can  not  do  that.  You  know  I 
can  not;  though  I  am  very,  very  grateful.  If — if  I  could  fine? 
some  work  out  of  England,"  she  murmured. 

The  little  lawyer  caught  at  once  at  the  suggestion. 

"But  why  out  of  England,  my  dear  young  lady?"  hC 
asked. 

Florists  eyes  drooped,  and  her  lips  quivered. 

"  Because  I  would  like  to  leave  England — forever,  if  I 
could,"  she  said,  quietly.  "  How  long  may  I  remain  liere — at 
the  cottage,  I  mean  ?  " 

"  Only  a  fortnight  at  the  utmost,"  he  said  reluctantly. 

"  So  soon  ?  "  she  said,  sadly. 

"  You  could  remain  altogether,  if  you  liked,"  he  responded. 
"  If  you  would  allow  me,  I  should  be  glad  to  purchase  the 
cottage  and — and  advance  <you  enough  money  to  start  a 
school.  I  am  sure  " — with  something  approaching  eagerness 
—"that  you  would  soon  be  able  to  repay  me." 

But  Floris  shook  her  head  as  decidedly  as  ever. 

"You  must  not  think  of  that,  Mr.  Morrel.  Even  if  I 
could  accept  your  kindness,  it  would  be  thrown  away;  I  am 
not  cut  out  for  a  school-mistress.  I  don't  know  enough  to 
teach  half  the  things  girls  require  nowadays.  Besides — no ;  I 
could  not  do  that.  There  must  be  something  else,  surely. 
Do  you  think — I  know  how  good  you  are,  and  how  anxious 
you  are  to  help  me — do  you  think  I  could  see  some  of  the  for- 
eign newspapers?  There  might  be  an  advertisement  which  I 
could  answer." 

Mr.  Morrel  nodded  almost  energetically,  and  seized  on  the 
idea  eagerly.  At  each  visit  he  had  become  more  interested  "in 
the  beautiful  young  girl  who  seemed  so  friendless  and  help- 
less in  the  midst  of  her  sorrow. 

Only  a  fortnight !.  It  was  not  long  in  which  to  find  a  niche 
for  herself — a  few  feet  of  standing  room  in  this  vast  world,  so 
crowded  and  jostled ! 

A  week  passed,  during  which  she  did  not  go  outside  the 
house,  excepting  into  the  garden,  in  which  she  walked  with 
drooping  head  and  listless  step,  thinking  over  the  past,  which 
seomed  so  long  ago  and  yet  was  so  recent. 

People  called,  people  who  would  have  been  glad  to  help  her, 


MY  LADY  PRIDE.  183 

but  she  shrunk  from  seeing  them,  and  they  were  told  one  and 
all  by  the  little  servant  that  Miss  Carlisle  was  too  unwell  to 
see  any  one. 

At  the  end  of  the  week  Mr  Morrel  came  down,  and  Floris 
saw  by  his  face  that  he  had  something  to  communicate. 

He  put  a  small  bundle  of  papers  on  the  table  as  she  shook 
hands,  and  nodded  curtly,  as  he  scrutinized  her  face  through 
his  glasses. 

"  You  are  looking  better,  Miss  Carlisle,"  he  said,  in  hi§ 
sharp  fashion.  "  That's  right !  I  was  almost  afraid  to  come 
down,  your  pale  face  so — so  upset  me !  But  there,  we'll  hope 
things  are  taking  a  turn,  eh  ?  You  are  still  resolved  to  go  out 
and  seek  your  fortune,  like  a  female  Whittington  ?  "  and  he 
smiled. 

"  I  don't  want  to  be  a  Lord  Mayor  of  London,  if  that  is 
what  you  mean !"  she  said ;  and  there  was  a  touch  of  her  old 
naivete  in  the  reply  that  made  him  laugh  and  nod  with  sat- 
isfaction. 

"Very  good,  very  good,  indeed!  Well,  if  you  are  still  re- 
solved, I  think  I  have  heard  of  something  that  might  suit 
you." 

And  he  began  to  untie  the  tape  around  his  bundle. 

Floris's  face  flushed  slightly ;  hope,  which  springs  eternal  in 
the  human  breast,  came  to  her. 

"  It  was  a  very  curious  thing,"  he  said,  sorting  his  papers 
methodically ;  "  but  life  is  made  up  of  curious  things.  Talk 
of  fiction  being  stranger  than  reality!  It's  downright  non- 
sense !  I  assure  you,  my  dear  Miss  Carlisle,  that  a  lawyer  meets 
with  far  stranger  things  in  the  course  of  his  professional  ex- 
perience than  any  of  you  young  ladies  read  of  in  yffiir  novels." 

"  I  dare  say,"  said  Floris,  smiling.  "  Have  you  discovered 
that  I  am  the  long-lost  daughter  of  an  earl  who  is  longing  to 
claim  me,  or  has  an  uncle  in  the  East  Indies,  of  whom  I  have 
never  heard,  left  me  an  enormous  fortune?" 

Pie  laughed;  he  was  immensely  pleased  to  see  her  in  this 
frame  of  mind,  little  guessing  how  much  of  it  was  really  af- 
fected so  that  his  kind  heart  should  not  be  distressed  by  the 
continual  spectacle  of  her  sorrow. 

"  IvTo,  no !  "  he  said,  "  I  wish  it  was.  But  this  is  what  it  is. 
By  the  way,  do  you  know  anything  about  flowers  ?" 

Floris  opened  her  great,  sorrowful  eyes  with  faint  astonish- 
ment. 

"  Botany  and  that  kind  of  thing  ?"  he  explained. 


184  MY  LADY  PRID1. 

Floris  shopk  her  head. 

"  No;  I  am  afraid  not." 

"  Hem !"  he  muttered,  rather  discouraged ;  tHen  he  bright 

ened  up  again. 

"  But  that  doesn't  matter,  I  think,"  he  said,  briskly. 

"After  all,  you  could  soon  learn — " 

'  "  Learn  botany,  the  science  of  flowers !"  exclaimed  Floris 
almost  inclined  to  think  that  the  incessant  worry  on  her  be 
half  had  turned  the  little  man's  brain. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  slowly ;  "  why  not  ?  Nothing  very  diffi 
cult  in  it,  I  should  think,  for  a  clever  young  lady  like  your 
self." 

"  I  am  about  the  stupidest  girl,  Mr.  Morrel,  that  ever 
your  professional  experience  ever  met  with,"  she  said,  with  8 
smile. 

He  smiled  and  chuckled. 

"  I  don't  believe  there  is  anything  you  couldn't  learn,"  he 
said,  confidently. 

"  You  haven't  told  me  why  you  asked  me  if  I  understood 
flowers,"  said  Floris,  gently,  bringing  him  back  to  the  point. 

"  This  is  the  reason,"  he  said,  settling  himself  in  his  chair. 
"  When  you  spoke  to  me  the  other  day  of  wanting  to  get  out 
of  England,  and  trusting  there  might  be  some  advertisements 
in  the  foreign  newspapers,  I  thought  there  was  a  good  idea  in 
the  suggestion,  so  I  went  to  a  friend  in  London,  who  knows 
all  about  the  Continent  and  speaks  half  a  dozen  languages, 
and  got  him  to  hunt  through  some  of  the  papers."  And 
he  laid  his  hand  on  the  bundle  on  the  table.  "  Well,  my 
friend  sent  me  around  one  or  two  advertisements  that  he 
thought  might  suit,  and  I  looked  over  them.  Most  of  them 
were  for  English  governesses.  I  didn't  think  they  would  suit 

you." 

Floris  sighed. 

"  I  am  so  fearfully  ignorant !"  she  said. 

"Exactly — -no,  no,  I  don't  mean  that!  Well,  there  was 
one  that  was  not  for  a  governess,  but  a  very  strange  adver- 
tisement. I'll  read  it  to  you." 

He  took  up  the  paper  and  read  aloud : 

" '  Wanted,  an  English  lady  to  assist  a  lady  in  the  prepara^ 
tion  of  a  book  on  botany  and  the  management  of  rare  flow- 
ers.' 

"The  advertiser  requires  a  good  copyist,  and  not  neces- 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  185 

sarily  a  lady  fully  acquainted  with  botany.     Address  X.  Y., 
Florence." 

Florists  heart  sunk,  and  she  sighed. 

"  Now  wait  a  moment/'  he  said,  holding  up  his  hand.  "  I 
thought  it  might  suit  you,  so  I  wrote  and  got  particulars  be- 
fore I  troubled  you  with  it." 

Floris's  eyes  glanced  upon  him  gratefully. 

"And  the  particulars  were  satisfactory.  Here  they  are/5 
and  he  took  up  a  letter  and  read  it. 

"You  see  she  wants  a  young  lady,  a  lady  by  birth,  and 
she  is  more  particular  about  that,  and  that  the  young  lady 
should  write  a  good  hand,  than  that  she  should  be  skilled 
in  plants.  Now  you  are  a  lady  by  birth,  Miss  Carlisle,  and  if 
you  will  allow  me  to  say  so,  you  write  a  remarkable  hand." 

"Well?"  said  Flor is,  eagerly. 

"Well,  I  wrote  and  told  her  so,  and  asked  for  more  par- 
ticulars and  references,  of  course.  The  references  .came,  and 
I  found  them  extremely  satisfactory,  I  then  gave  her  some 
few  particulars  respecting  yourself,  and,  in  short,  I  accepted 
the  situation  for  you  on  condition  of  your  agreement.  The 
salary  is  not  a  large  one,  but  there  will  be  a  comfortable 
home,  and  Florence  is  a  beautiful  place,  I  am  told.  Never 
was  out  of  England  myself,  and  don't  want  to  be !"  he  jerked 
in;  "but  still,  it's  a  beautiful  pluce,  and  as  most  ladies  are 
fond  of  flowers,  why — ' 

Floris's  eyes  filled. 

"  You  have  been  very  good  to  me,  Mr.  Morrel.  When  you 
asked  me  the  other  day  whether  I  had  any  friends,  T  ought  to 
have  replied,  '  Yes ;  one  very,  very  kind  and  true  one !'  And 
have  you  really  got  the  situation  for  me?" 

"Yes,"  he  said,  huskily;  "that  is,  if  you  like  to  take  it. 
You  shall  look  over  the  papers  and  decide.  The  work  will 
not  be  hard ;  you  will  have  to  do  some  copying  and  write 
from  dictation — I  should  buy  a  work  on  botany  and  study  it 
on  the  journey,  if  I  were  you — and  from  what  t  hear,  T  think; 
you  would  find  Mrs.  Sinclair  a  very  nice  lady.  T^ow  don't  sayj 
a  word,  but  look  over  the  letters  while  T  take  a  cup  of  tea."  i  j 

Floris  took  the  letters  to  a  side-table  and  read  them. 

As  Mr.  Morrel  had  said,  they  were  very  satisfactory.  The 
salary  was  not  large,  but  ample  for  her  poor  wants,  and  there 
would  be  a  comfortable  home. 

But  the  greatest  attraction  in  the  offer  for  her  was  the 
that,  if  she  accepted,  she  could  get  away  from  England. 


186  MY    LADY    T'lUDK. 

Florence,  too!  How  often  she  had  read  of  it  and  longed  to 
see  it !  Florence !  A  pang  shot  through  her  heart  for  a  mo- 
ment, as  she  remembered  that  it  was  one  of  the  places  Lord 
Norman  had  often  talked  of  taking  her  to  wh<3n  they  were 
married — when  they  were  married !  Alas,  alas ! 

Mr.  MorreL  who  was  watching  her,  saw  her  lip  quiver. 

"  There,  there  I"  he  said.  "  Don't  think  any  more  about 
it  if  you  don't  like  the  idea.  Something  else  will  be  sure  to 
turn  up."  f 

Floris  rose  and  went  up  to  him. 

"  Nothing  could  turn  up  better  than  this,"  she  said. 

"Then  you  will  go?"  he  said. 

She  hesitated  a  moment. 

"  It's  a  long  way  from  England,"  he  said. 

"Ah,  that  is  the  greatest  inducement  to  me !"  she  responded* 
*  Yes,  I  will  go,  Mr.  MorreL" 

And  so,  unconsciously,  she  drew  the  chain  that  bound  her 
to  the  past  a  link  closer. 

All  unknown  to  "herself,  and  nnguessed  at,  there  awaited 
her  at  Florence  the  most  eventful  chrpter  of  her  life's  his* 
tory! 


CHAPTEE    XXIII. 

A     BITTER      PUNISHMENT. 

IT  was  an  awful  ride  which  Lady  Blanche  had  undertaken 
and  for  the  remainder  of  her  life  she  remembered  that  night 
journey. 

They  reached  the  house,  and  at  the  sound  of  their  approach; 
Sir  Joseph  came  to  the  door.  He  started  as  his  eyes  fell  on 
Lady  Blanche,  and  he  looked  beyond  her  as  if  he  expected 
to  see  some  one  else — Floris. 

"Lady  Blanche!"  he  said.  "Have  you  come  all  this 
way — " 

She  fell  rather  than  slipped  from  the  sadle  and  caught  his 
arm. 

«  Tell— tell  me  the  truth !  "  she  panted.     "  Is  he— 

Her  white  face  and  suppressed  emotion  started  him. 

"Lord  Norman,  thank  Heaven,  is  alive!"  he  answered, 
gravely. 

Blanche  put  her  hands  before  her  eyes  and  remu 


MY   LADY    PRIDE. 

motionless  for  a  moment,  then  she  accepted  Sir  Joseph's  arm 
and  allowed  him  to  lead  her  into  the  house. 

"And  you  have  ridden  all  this  way  in  the  dead  of  the 
night ! "  he  said,  scarcely  yet  realizing  that  it  was  really  sho 
who  stood  before  him.  "You  must  be  wet  through,  Lady 
Blanche,  and — and  I  am  afraid  there  is  no  change  of  clothes; 
we  have,  unfortunately,  no  women-folk  here." 

She  shook  her  head.  * 

"  It  does  not  matter.  No,  I  am  not  very  wet.  I  do  not 
care  in  the  least.  Sir  Joseph,  can  I — can  I  see  him?  But  of 
course,  I  can.  I  have  come  to  nurse  him." 

Sir  Joseph  stared. 

If  any  one  should  have  come,  it  should  have  been  Floris — 
the  girl  to  whom  he  was  engaged.  His  thought  found  expres- 
sion. 

"  Have  you  told — how  is  Miss  Carlisle-?  I  trust  the  sad 
news  has  not  made  her  ill  ?  "  he  said. 

Lady  Blanche  looked  up  wildly.  She  had  almost  forgotten 
Floris*! 

"  We — we  did  not  tell  her,"  she  said,  coldly  and  distinctly. 
"  We  thought  it  better  not  to  do  so  until — until  we  knew  how 
Lord  Norman  really  was.  This  is  why  I  have  come." 

Sir  Joseph  felt  surprised. 

"  You  have  not  told  her?  "  he  said,  gravely.  "  I  am  rather 
stfrry ;  I  think  she  ought  to  know.  But  perhaps  she  will  follow 
with  Lady  Pendleton  in  the  carriage?  "  he  said. 

"  Perhaps  so,"  assented  Lady  Blanche ;  "  and  now  will  you 
go  and  see  if  I  may  go  to  him,  Sir  Joseph  ?  Doctor  Greene 
may  want  me." 

He  went  upstairs,  and  came  down  again  after  what  seemed 
an  age  to  her. 

"Yes;  Doctor  Greene  says  you  may  see  him;  but  he  thinks 
you  should  have  some  rest." 

She  took  off  her  hat  and  put  it  down  with  a  gesture  of 
refusal. 

They  entered  the  bed-room,  and  Lady  Blanche,  pressing 
her  hand  to  her  heart  for  a  moment,  unseen  by  Sir  Joseph, 
glided  to  the  bed.  There  lay  Lord  Norman,  white  to  the 
lips — white  as  the  bandage  about  his  head,  saving  for  the 
dark  red  scars  on  his  forehead  which  the  savage  stag  had 
caused. 

Beside  him  stood  Doctor  Greene,  and  at  a  little  distance  thg 


188  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

miserable  boy  whose  inexperience  and  youthful  impatieac* 
had  been  the  cause  of  the  accident. 

Doctor  Greene  looked  up  as  she  approached,  and  scanned 
her  face  critically. 

"  Is — is  he  asleep  ?  "  she  whispered,  huskily. 

"  No,"  he  said  aloud ;  "  you  need  not  be  afraid  to  speak. 
Lady  Blanche;  he  is  quite  unconscious,  and  will  remain  so,  I 
am  afraid,  for  some  time." 

"  Is  he  much  hurt  ?  "  she  asked,  her  eyes  riveted  on  the 
white  face. 

"  Very  much,"  he  said,  concisely.  "  The  stag  did  not  spare 
him,  poor  fellow !  " 

"  Is  it  dead  ?  "  she  ground  out  between  her  teeth,  with  a 
gudden,  savage  flash  of  her  eyes. 
.  "  Is  it — the  stag  ?     I  do  not  know." 

"  Yes,"  murmured  Lord  Harry,  miserably,  from  the  other 
end  of  the  room. 

She  did  not  hear  him,  but  stood  with  her  eyes  fixed  on  the 
motionless  face,  while  she  drew  off  her  gloves. 

"  Sir  Joseph  tells  me  you  wish  to  help  me,  Lady  Blanche," 
said  Doctor  Greene.  "  Do  you  not  think  you  had  better  rest 
for  a  while?  Your  journey  has  been  an  extraordinary  one  for 
a  lady  to  undergo." 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  I  could  not  rest.     Tell  me  what  I  am  to  do?" 

He  inclined  his  head,  seeing  that  any  further  remonstrance 
would  be  useless. 

"  Keep  his  bandages  moist,  please,"  he  said.  "  I  am  going 
down-stairs  to,  prepare  fresh  ones.  Call  me  if  he  gives  the 
slightest  sign  of  returning  consciousness." 

As  he  left  the  room  Lady  Blanche  sunk  on  her  knees  be- 
side the  bed,  and  let  her  head  drop  until,  her  lips  rested  on 
Lord  Norman's 

"  Oh,  my  darling,  my  darling !  "  she  breathed.  "  You  will 
not  die !  You  must  not  die !  No,  Bruce,  Bruce,  live  for  my 
sake !  My  darling,  my  darling !  " 

Lord  Harry  stared  at  her  with  his  bloodshot  eyes,  and,  al- 
most frightened  by  what  he  had  seen,  rose  and  stole  out. 

The  morning  broke,  and  the  sun  came  sleepily  through  the 
mist,  and  the  noon  and  evening  passed,  and  still  Lord  Nor- 
man lay  as  dead  to  all  around  him  as  if  indeed  life  had  passed 
the  portals  of  his  white  lips;  aad  still  Lady  Blanche  knelt 
down  by  his  side. 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  189 

Toward  nightfall  the  carriage  from  Bally  floe  arrived. 

It  contained  Lady  Pendleton  and  a  nurse,  but  to  Sir  Jo- 
seph's amazement,  no  Floris  came. 

"  Have  you  told  Miss  Carlisle  ?  "  he  asked,  as  he  held  Lady 
Betty's  trembling  hands,  and  tried  to  encourage  her. 

"No!"  said  Lady  Betty,  flushing  and  then  turning  pale 
again.  "  No ;  Miss  Carlisle  was  summoned  from  Ballyfloe 
quite  suddenly,  before  the  news  arrived !  " 

"Ah,  that  explains  it !  "  he  said,  with  a  relieved  air.  "  It 
is  fortunate  that  it  has  happened  so,  though  we  may  have  to 
send  for  her.  Now  don't  cry,  Lady  Betty.  Doctor  Greene 
does  not  withhold  all  hope;  and  we  have  got  an  excellent 
nurse  in  Lady  Blanche." 

Lady  Betty  flushed  again,  but  before  she  could  speak  the 
door  opened  and  Lady  Blanche  glided  in. 

Sir  Joseph,  thinking  that  he  would  be  in  the  way,  left 
them,  and  the  two  women  confronted  each  other. 

"  You  have  come,_  then  ?"  said  Lady  Blanche.  "  Where  are 
the  things  you  have  brought  ?  " 

"  The  nurse  has  them  ?  "  said  Lady  Betty,  coldly. 

"  The  nurse !  "  echoed  Lady  Blanche.  "  Why  did  you  bring 
one?  I  am  the  nurse,  Lady  Pendleton." 

Lady  Betty  began  to  tremble. 

"  What  right  have  you  here  ?  "  she  demanded.  "  Do  you 
think  Floris  will  be  pleased  when  she  hears — 

"  Floris,  Floris !  I  am  sick  of  the  name !  "  said  Lady 
Blanche,  with  a  curl  of  the  lips.  "  Listen  to  me !  "  and  she 
came  quite  close  to  the  agitated  woman.  "  Floris  Carlisle  is 
not  here ;  she  will  not  come  here.-  You  know  why,  as  well  or 
better  than  I  do.  Do  you  think  because  she  has  jilted  and 
deserted  him,  that  I  should  do  so,  too?  Wait!  I  have  come 
down  because  I  have  something  to  say  to  you.  Bemember, 
please,  that  I  am  Lord  Norman's  relative;  that  I  am  nearer 
to  him  than  any  Floris,  jilt  or  no  jilt,  and  that  it  is  I— I,  and 
no  one  else — who  will  tell  him  how  she  has  deserted  him !  I 
will  brook  no  interference  from  any  one  but  Miss  Carlisle,  and 
;do  not  expect  to  meet  with  any  from  her ! "  and,  with  a  wave 
of  the  white  hand,  she  swept  noiselessly  from  the  room. 

The  days  passed ;  the  little  stone  house,  which  had  been 
built  for  pleasure,  had  become  like  a  hospital. 

On  the  evening  of  the  fifth  day,  as  Doctor  Greene  stood  be- 
side the  window,  looking  out  on  the  wild  scene  with  a  grave 


190  MY    LADY    PRIDE. 

and  anxious  face,  he  heard  Lady  Blanche  whisper  his  name, 
ami  turned  noiselessly  to  the  bed. 

Lord  Norman  had  opened  his  eyes  and  was  looking  at  Lady 
Blanche  with  an  expression  of  consciousness  in  them. 

u  Floris !  "  he  breathed. 

Even  then  she  did  not  speak;  but  her  hand  stole  along  the 
bedclothes  and  inclosed  his  hot,  wasted  one. 

"Floris!  You  here?  What  has  happened?  Ah!  I  re- 
member," he  added,  with  a  faint  effort  to  smile.  "  Is — is 
the  boy  safe?" 

"  Lord  Harry  is  all  right/5  said  Doctor  Greene.  "  He  has 
gone  home." 

"  Poor  boy !  I  am  glad  of  that.  I  am  very  tired !  How 
long  have  I  been  lying  here  ?  The  whole  day  ?  " 

Doctor  Greene  drew  a  silk  handkerchief  across  the  feverish 


ki  Don't  talk  now,  Norman,"  he  said.  "  Try  and  sleep. 
We  will  tell  you  all  about  it  in  the  morning."  : 

With  a  gesture  of  obedience  he  turned  his  head  on  the  pil- 
low, his  hand  still  on  Blanche's. 

All  night  Lady  Blanche  sat  with  his  hand  in  hers — hers 
which  he  thought  was  Floris's — and  in  the  morning  he  awoke, 
vi th  the  fever  far  behind. 

"  Why,  Blanche !  "  he  said,  feebly.  "  You  here  ?  Where  is 
Floris?  Has  she  gone  to  lie  down?" 

She  inclined  her  head. 

"  T  am  glad  of  that.  Poor  girl !  She  must  need  some  rest, 
surely.  She  has  been  watching  beside  me  all  night,  hasn't 
she?" 

Lady  Blanche  smoothed  the  bedclothes. 

"  Don't  talk  yet,  Norman,"  she  said,  huskily, 

"  Blanche,  how  long  have  I  been  lying  here?  " 

"Six  days,  Norman,"  she  faltered. 

"Six  days!  Six — and  Floris  has  been  watching  all  the 
time!  My  poor  darling!"  and  the  tears — he  was  still  fear- 
fully weak  and  easily  mo^ed — rose  to  his  eyes.  "  Six  days 
unconscious !  And,  of  course,  you  all  thought  I  was  going  to 
die?  My  own  poor  darling,  how  she  must  have  suffered  !  Is 
she  very  ill,  Blanche?" 

Lady  Blanche  shook  her  head.     She.  could  not  speak. 

Every  word  he  uttered  went  through  her  heart  like  a  knife 
thrust. ' 

"  No  ?     I    am   glad,   glad,   glad !     But  white   and   thin, 


MY   LADY   PRIDE  191 

Blanche,  eh  ?  Poor  Floris !  We  must  nurse  her  now, 
Blanche.  My  darling!  Ah,  Heaven,  how  I  have  longed  to 
be  able  to  speak  to  her !  But  though  I  knew  she  was  here — 
though  I  knew  she  held  my  hand,  and  could  feel  her  breath 
sometimes — I  could  not  speak.  I  suppose  I  was  half-uncon- 
scious, eh,  Blanche  ?  " 

"Yes,  dear!" 

"  Am  I  very  much  knocked  about  ?  " 

She  was  silent. 

"  Oh,  don't  think  I  am  anxious  about  my  personal  appear- 

{anee,"    and    he    laughed    weakly.      "But  am  I  too  much 

'  knocked  about  to  let  her  make  it  an  excuse  for  putting  off  the 

wedding?     I  want  to  be  married  directly  I  can  get  about. 

Eh,  Blanche?" 

She  nodded  an  assent  and  he  went  on : 

"  Yes,  she  won't  refuse  now.  A  sick  man  musn't  be  con- 
tradicted, that  you  know.  How  long  has  she  been  lying 
down?  I  wouldn't  have  her  disturbed  for  the  world,  but  I 
shall  be  so  glad  to  see  her.  Doctor,"  turning  his  head,  "  do 
you  think  there  is  any  fear  of  my  going  off  my  head  again  ?  " 

"  Not  if  we  are  careful  not  to  excite  you,"  said  Doctor 
Greene,  looking  at  Blanche,  significantly. 

Lord  Norman  laughed. 

"  Oh,  you  won't  excite  me,"  he  said.  "  I  have  had  enough 
in  the  way  of  excitement  to  outshine  anything  you  can  do  in 
that  line!  I  shall  never  forget  seeing  that  mad  boy  rushing 
on  to  his  death,  as  it  seemed !  Thank  Heaven  I  was  able  to 
get  up  to  his  side  in  time!  Poor  boy!  Gone  home,  has  he? 
I  must  write  to  him  as  soon  as  I  can — I'll  get  Floris  to  write 
to-day,  and  tell  him  I'm  all  right !  When  we  are  married  ht 
shall  come  and  stay  with  us ! " 

He  paused  for  want  of  breath,  then  fixed  his  eyes  on  Lady 
Blanche's  face. 

"Blanche,  you  are  a  good  girl!  You  have  been  helping 
vFloris  to  nurse  me,  eh  ?  It  is  just  like  you !  You  look  pale 
and  tired;  you  have  overdone  yourself.  When  Floris  comes 
I  back  I  shall  tell  her  to  send  you  away  for  the  whole  day." 

She  found  her  voice  at  last. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  almost  inaudibly,  "  When  Floris  comes 
back  I  will  go  away  and  rest.  But— but  she  is  more  tired 
than  I  am,  Bruce,  and  the  doctor  has  ordered  her  to  keep  to 
her  room." 

"  My  poor  darling !  "  he  murmured^  fervently.    "  Go  to  her; 


192  MY  LADY   PRIDE. 

Blanche,  and  give  her  my  love,  will  you  ?  And  tell  her  she  is 
not  to  come  to  me  on  any  account  until  she  is  quite  rested," 
he  added,  wistfully. 

Lady  Blanche  rose  and  supported  herself  by  a  chair  for  a 
moment,  then  she  found  strength  to  creep  out  of  the  room. 

Her  punishment  was  almost  heavier  than  she  could  bear. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE   UNDELIVERED   MESSAGE. 

LADY  BETTY  was  waiting  for  her  in  the  sitting-room,  wait- 
ing in  the  greatest  agitation  and  distress,  mingled  with  her 
joy  for  the  news. 

"  Oh,  Blanche,  is  he  really  better  ?  "  she  exclaimed,  forget- 
ting her  animosity  for  the  moment. 

"  Yes,"  said  Lady  Blanche,  curtly,  "  he  is  better ;  but  his 
life  hang?  by  a  thread — I  know  that.  I  have  come  to  ask  you 
what  you  intend  to  do." 

"Tod<  ?" 

"Yes.  Do  you  mean  to  see  him?  If  you  do,  he  will  see 
by  your  face  that  something  is  wrong;  he  will  ask  you  ques- 
tions abotit — about  Floris  Carlisle.  And  what  will  you  say? 
Can  you  keep  your  countenance  and  lie,  as  I  have  done  ?  I 
have  tol<ft  him  that  she  is  resting." 

"•Oh,  how  could  you  do  that?" 

Lady  Blanche  laughed.  It  was  an  awful  laugh,  and  it 
made  her  listener  shudder. 

"  I  would  tell  him  anything  to  avert  the  blow !  It  must 
come  sooner  or  later,  but,  unless  you  want  to  kill  him,  let  it 
come  later." 

"  It  is  dreadful !  "  moaned  Lady  Betty.  "  I  can  not  under- 
stant  it.  I  will  never  believe  she  has  done  what  you  say." 

"  Jilted  him,  and  ran  off  with  Bertie  Clifforde  ?  "  said  Lady 
Blanche,  icily.  "  I  admire  your  faith !  I  suppose  you  have 
written  to  her?" 

"  I  wrote  to  her  before  I  left  Ballyfloe,"  said  Lady  Betty. 
"I  wrote  to  Westbury,  where  her  mother  lived.  I  wrote  to 
Matilda,  who  first  recommended  her  to  me  when  she  came  as 
a  companion,  but  I  have  received  no  answer," 


MY  LADY   PRIDE.  193 

Lady  Blanche  smiled.  She  knew  that  Josine  had  taken  the 
letters  from  the  post-bag. 

"  How  could  you  have  received  any  answer,  seeing  that 
Floris  Carlisle  has  gone  with  Bertie  Clifforde,  and  that 
Lady  Matilda  is  on  the  Continent  ?  "  she  said,  contemptuously. 

"  What  shall  I  do  ?'  demanded  poor  Lady  Betty,  helplessly. 

"  Go  back  to  Ballyfloe,"  said  Lady  Blanche,  firmly.  "  He 
does  not  know  you  are  here.  Go  back  to  Ballyfloe,  and  I  will 
tell  him  that  you  would  not  see  him  for  fear  of  exciting  him, 
and  that  you  have  taken  Floris  Carlisle  with  you." 

"  Yes,  I  will  go,"  said  Lady  Betty.  "  I  will  go  at  once. 
Poor  Bruce ;  poor  Bruce !  " 

Lady  Blanche's  face  flushed. 

"  Save  your  pity  for  those  who  need  it,"  she  said,  quietly. 
" '  Poor  Bruce/  as  you  call  him,  is  a  fortunate  man  to  have 
been  deceived  before  marriage  instead  of  afterward,"  and, 
with  this  last  dagger-thrust,  she  left  her. 

From  that  moment  Lord  Norman's  recovery  was  rapid.  At 
the  end  of  the  week  a  comfortable,  the  most  comfortable  of 
the  Ballyfloe  traveling  carriages,  filled  with  every  luxury  a 
convalescent  could  require,  arrived  at  Scarfross,  and,  to  his 
immense  satisfaction,  he  started  f of  "  home,"  as  he  called  it. 

They  started  early  in  the  morning.  Lord  Lorman  and  the 
young  doctor  traveling  in  the  big  carriage,  and  the  rest  of  the 
party  traveling  as  best  they  liked. 

They  arrived  at  Ballyfloe  at  dusk,  and  were  greeted  by  Lady 
and  Sir  Joseph  Lynch  with  the  most  cordial  and  affectionate 
welcome.  It  was  quite  a  reception,  in  fact,  all  the  guests 
who  remained  thronging  the  terrace  and  pressing  forward  to 
express  their  delight  at  seeing  him  among  them  again. 

Lord  Norman,  as  he  shook  hands  and  responded  to  their 
kind  expressions,  kept  glancing  to  the  right  and  left  and 
beyond  them  to  the  hall  do'or,  with  barely  suppressed  eager- 
ness. 

"Where  is  Floris?"  he  asked,  quite  audibly,  of  Lady 
Lynch. 

Before  she  could  answer,  Lady  Blanche  laid  her  hand  softly 
on  his  arm. 

"  Bruce,  Doctor  Greene  says  you  are  to  go  in  at  once ;  the 
air  is  chilly  for  you." 

He  laughed  grimly. 

"  Y©u  see,  Lady  Lynch,  they  intend  to  treat  rue  as  an  in- 


194  MY  LADY   PRIDE. 

valid  still,  and  I  suppose  I  must  bow  beneath  their  typafloy! 
I  Bhall  see  you  at  dinner." 

u  Better  dine  in  your  own  room  to-night,  Norman,  I 
think/'  said  Doctor  Greene.  "You  have  done  quite  enough 
for  to-day." 

They  escorted  him  to  his  apartments  almost  as  if  he  jvere  a , 
,  royal  personage,  and  Lady  -Blanche  went  to  her  own  room.j 
As  she  opened  the  door  she  saw  Josine  standing  waiting  for! 
her.  ' 

Lady  Blanche  started  and  flushed,  then  she  closed  the  door. 

i%  Is  there  any  news,  Josine?"  she  asked,  calmly. 

Josine  shook  her  head. 

"  No,  miladi." 

"  She — she  has  not  written  ?  " 

"  No,  miladi,  there  have  been  no  letters.  If  there  had 
been,  I  would  have  intercepted  them  and  given  them  to 
miladi." 

Lady  Blanche  drew  a  breath  of  relief. 

"  Then— then  you  have  heard  nothing  ?  "  she  faltered. 

"  Nothing  of  Miss  Carlisle !  Nothing  whatever.  I  know 
nothing  except  that  Miss  Carlisle  left  Bally  floe  with  Milord 
Clifforde,"  she  said,  steadily.  . 

Lady  Blanche  dismissed  her  with  a  wave  of  her  hand,  and 
sunk  into  a  chair. 

She  knew  that  Lord  Norman  would  send  for  her  presently, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  his  valet  knocked  at  the  door  and  beg- 
ged her  to  come  to  his  master. 

She  rose,  glanced  at  her  face  in  the  glass,  and  followed  the 
man.  The  critical  moment  had  arrived. 

Lord  Norman  was  pacing  up  and  down  the  room  im- 
patiently; his  traveling  cloak  of  sable  was  thrown  across  a 
chair,  as  if  he  had  but  just  flung  it  off,  and  he  had  made  no 
attempt  at  changing  his  clothes. 

"  Blanche,"  he  said,  facing  her,  "  why  doesn't  Floris  come? 
Where  is  she?  Why  is  it  that  no  one  mentions  her  name?  Is 
she  in  the  house?  She  must  be  at  this  hour.  I  asked  my 
man  if  she  were  dressing  for  dinner,  but  I  coijld  get  no  satis- 
factory answer  from  him." 

Lady  Blanche  was  silent;  she  could  not  speak  for  the  mo- 
ment— could  not  take  her  eyes  from  his,  in  which,  already, 
there  began  to  dawn  an  overpowering  anxiety  and  appre- 
hension. 

"  Blanche !  "  he  exclaimed ;  "  what  does  this  mean  ?    Is  si* 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  195 

111?    For  Heaven'*  sake,  if  you  have  any  news  to  tell  me,  tell 
me  it  at  once.     Suspense  kills  me — what  is  it  ?  " 

She  moistened  her  lips. 

"  Floris  is  not  at  Ballyfloe,  Bruce." 

"  Not  at  Ballyfloe !  "  he  repeated,  with  wide-opened  eyes 
and  knit  brow.  "  Where  is  she,  then  ?  Great  heavens !  *  Why 
didn't  you  tell  me  before  I  left  Scarf ross  ?  I  could  have  taken, 
train  at  a  nearer  point  than  this.  You  know  I  am  dying  to, 
see  her ! " 

Her  heart  hardened,  and  she  met  his  impatient  gaze 
steadily. 

"  I  do  not  know  where  she  is,  Bruce/'  she  said,  quietly. 

"  Not  know !  What  do  you  mean  ?  When  did  she  go,  and 
why?" 

"  She  left  Ballyfloe  nearly  three  weeks  ago,  Bruce — the  day 
you  started  for  Scarfross." 

"  What !  "  he  cried,  in  a  terrible  voice ;  "  what — where  ?  I 
have  had  no  letter !  Ah,  I  see — you  have  kept  it  from  me 
because  I  was  ill.  I  see,  I  see!  But  for  Heaven's  sake,  give 
it  to  me  now — give  them  all  to  me — "  and  he  held  out  his 
hand. 

She  shook  her  head. 

"I  have  no  letter  for  you,  Bruce;  she  has  written  to  no 
one." 

His  hand  fell  to  his  side. 

"Written  to  no  one,  Blanche!"  his  face  growing  white. 
" What  is  this  infernal  mystery?  Why  did  you  lie  to  me 
the  other  day,  and  tell  me  she  was  at  Scarfross  ?  Has  she  not 
been  there  at  all  ?  " 

"  She  has  not  been  there,  Bruce.  She  left  here  when  you 
did,  and  we  have  not  heard  a  word  from  her  since."  » 

He  strode  forward  and  seized  her  arm.  ' 

"  Quick,  tell  me  all !  She  is  dead  !  I  know  it !  I  can  read  • 
it  in  your  face !  Quick,  tell  me !  " 

"  No,  Bruce,  she  is  not  dead  that  I  know  of — indeed  I  do 
not  know.  But — but —  Oh,  Bruce !  can  you  bear  it  ?  "  she 
whispered. 

"  I  can  bear  anything  better  than  this  suspense,"  he  cried, 
hoarsely.  "  Don't  you  see  it's  maddening  me  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Bruce,  Bruce !  "  she  moaned.  "  It  is  so  hard  for  me 
to  have  to  tell  you !  But  you  will  hear  it  from  me  best. 
Bruce,  be  firm,  be  brave !  Don't  look  at"  me  so,  or  I  can  noi 
go  on ! "  for  his  eyes  seemed  penetrating  to  her  soul 


196  MY  LADY  PRIDE. 


He  looked  aside  and  motioned  her  to  go  on. 

"  Bruce/'  she  whispered,  almost  inaudibly,  for  her  heart 
nearly  stood  still  with  fear — with  actual  fear  that,  when  her 
lips  formed  the  words  he  would  strike,  perhaps  kill,  her, 
"  Bruce,  Floris  Carlisle  is  not  worth  a  thought  from  you.  She 
is  a  bad,  wicked  girl — " 

"  What ! "  and  he  laughed  a  short,  wild  laugh  of  mockery. 
"  Go  on,  go  on !  You  are  mad !  Floris  is  what  ?  " 

"Judge  for  yourself,"  she  retorted,  stung  into  courage. 
"  Floris  Carlisle  has  jilted  you,  Bruce,  and  run  off  with 
Bertie  Cliffords!" 

He  looked  at  her  with  a  dull,  perplexed  gaze.     . 
, "  Is  this  an  elaborate  joke,  Blanche  ?  "  he  asked,  quietly ; 
then,  as  he  scanned  her  face,  his  grasp  on  her  arm  grew 
tighter  and  he  drew  her  to  him  so  that  she  thought  he  was 
going  to  kill  her. 

"  What  do  you  say  ?  Say  it  again — say  it  again !  I 
didn't  hear  you — I  could  not  have  heard  you.  I  must  be  de- 
lirious still !  Floris — Floris —  Well,  can't  you  speak  ?  "  he 
said,  harshly. 

"Bruce,  it  is  quite  true.  Would  to  Heaven  it  were  not! 
She  has  left  you,  Bruce.  She  has  gone  off  with  Bertie  Clif- 
forde!" 

He  dropped  her  arm  and  stepped  back,  then  he  looked  at 
her  calmly,  quietly. 

"  It  must  be  a  lie !  "  he  whispered,  huskily,  just  as  Floris 
had  whispered  to  Josine  a  fortnight  ago. 

She  shook  her  head-. 
"  It  is  the  truth,  Bruce." 

"How  do  you  know?  She  has  not  written;  she  has — 
Oh,  Heaven !  am  I  awake  or  dreaming  ?  Blanche,  for  Hea- 
4ven's  sake,  tell  me  all !  I  know  there  is  some  hideous  mistake 
— of  course  there  is  some  mistake — and  it  must  be  put  right 
xat  once.  But  tell  me  all;  don't  waste  a  moment!  Now — 
now ! " 

"  Bruce,  I  can  only  tell  you  what  I  know.  The  day  you 
left  she  received  a  telegram;  she  started  for  the  railway  sta- 
tion at  once,  and  there  she  met  Bertie  C/lifforde." 

"A  lie — a  lie !  "  he  groaned. 

"Bruce,  it  is  no  idle  scandal.  Josine  saw  them  off  to- 
gether." 

"  Josine,  Josine !    Who  is  Josine  ?  "  he  demanded,  hoarsely. 

"  Lady  Betty's  maid — a  great  friend  of  Floris's." 


MY   LADY    PUIDE.  19? 

"  Fetch  her — fetch  Lady  Betty !  "  he  said,  pointing  to  the 
door. 

Lady  Blanche  went  out;  she  was  glad  to  get  out,  if  even 
for  a  moment  or  two,  from  the  sight  of  his  face,  the  sound  of 
his  voicp. 

In  frre  minutes  she  returned  with  the  two  others. 

He  vras  still  sitting  in  the  chair,  looking  vaguely,  vacantly^ 
out  of  ttie  window. 

"  OI/,  Bruce! "  sobbed  poor  Lady  Betty,  going  to  him;  but 
he  k?pt  her  back  with  upheld  hand. 

"  Girl,"  he  said,  sternly,  "  tell  me  what  this  means !  Speak 
the  truth,  if  you  can,  or,  by  Heaven — " 

His  glance  was  terrible  and  even  Josine  quaked ;  but  she 
gone  too  far  to  draw  back. 

"  Milord,  I  know  nothing  but  this,"  she  said  in  a  low, 
steady  voice;  and  she  repeated  her  lesson. 

For  a  certainty  Miss  Carlisle  had  left  Ballyfloe  with  Lord 
Cliffords 

"And  you— you  believe  this?"  he  demanded,  turning  to 
Lady  Betty. 

"  What  can  I  do,  Bruce  ?  "  she  wailed.  "  It  is  true.  I  have 
seen  the  porter,  the  guard,  and— and — " 

Lady  Betty  shook  her  head. 

"  No,  Bruce,  not  a  word.  I  have  written  to  her,  begging 
her  to  relieve  us  of  this  terrible  suspense  with  one  word,  but 
she  has  not  sent  it." 

"  Go !  "  he  said,  pointing  to  the  door,  and  the  two  went  out, 
leaving  Lady  Blanche  standing  there  with  her  hand  before  her 
eyes, 

She  stood  thus  for  a  moment  or  two,  then  she  ventured  to 
look  at  him. 

He  was  sitting  in  the  chair  still,-  his  face  turned  from 
her. 

She  went  up  to  him  and  knelt  beside  him. 

"Bruce — dear,  dear  Bruce — be  brave!  Oh,  Bruce,  she  Is 
not  worth  it ;  she  is  not,  indeed ! " 

He  turned  his  head,  and  she  started  and  shrunk  back. 

His  face  was  deathly  white  to  the  lips;  his  eyes  filled 
with  a  despair  that  seemed  to  have  transformed  him  into  an 
old  man. 

For  a  moment  he  appeared  unable  to  speak,  then  he  put  his 
band  on  her  shoulder. 

"Blanche,"  he  said,  hoarsely,  almost  inaudibly,  as  the  voice 


196  MY  LADY  PBIflE. 

of  a  man  at  death's  door,  "  you  can  do  me  no  good  !    Lea 
me  to  myself  !  " 

"But  —  but  —  "  she  cast  a  quick,  fearful  glance  round  *ii 
room  !  his  pistol  case  stood  on  a  side-table,  and  there  was 
pair,  frenzy  on  his  face. 

He  smiled  an  awful  smile. 

"  No,  Blanche,  do  not  be  afraid  !  I  shall  not  do  that.  \U11 
you  go  now  ?  " 

She  got  up  slowly.  She  longed,  with  a  tanging  past  ex- 
pression, to  throw  her  arms  round  him,  to  pour  out  the  pas- 
sionate love  of  her  heart  at  his  feet,  to  remind  him  that  there 
was  still  one  who  was  faithful,  but  she  dared  not  —  dared 
not! 

She  had  gone  to  the  length  of  her  tether  for  the  present  *  for 
the  future  —  well,  it  Jay  in  the  hands  of  the  gods  ! 

Slowly  she  retreated  from  him,  and  left  him,  left  him  still 
sitting  with  his  head  bowed,  and  the  awful  look  in  his  gray 


His  valet  found  him  still  sitting  there  when  he  entered  an 
hour  afterward,  and  was  dismissed  with  a  gesture;  he  found 
him  still  sitting,  like  a  figure  carved  in  stone,  in  the  morning, 
and  ventured  to  touch  and  speak  to  him. 

At  the  touch  Lord  Norman  looked  up  ,at  him  vaguely, 
then  rose,  rose  with  the  stiff  movement  and  gait  of  extreme 
age. 

"We  start  for  London  by  the  first  train,"  he  said,  in  a 
Jiollow  voice. 

The  man  packed  the  portmanteau,  and  they  started  in  the 
early  morning,  almost  like  thieves,  for  Lord  Norman  had 
bidden  him  keep  their  departure  .secret, 

They  reached  London  in  the  evening,  and  the  whole  of  the 
night  Lord  Norman  sat  in^his  room,  as  he  had  sat  at  Bally- 
floe,  his  eyes  fixed  on  the'  ground,  his  gray  face  set  into  a, 
marble  calm. 

In  the  morning  he  went  to  his  solicitor's,  and  obtaining  the 
address  of  Mr.  Morrel,  drove  to  his  office. 

Mr.  Morrel  was  considerably  startled  at  the  apparition,  as 
he  almost  deemed  it,  of  the  once  handsome,  light-hearted  earl 
against  whom  he  had  fought  so  long. 

"  T-  —  I  am  afraid  you  are  ill,  iny  lord  !  "  he  said,  with  his 
nervous  sharpness. 

Lord  Norman  waved  all  commonplace  greetings  aside, 


MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

"  I  have  come  to  learn  what  you  know  of—of  Mioi  Car- 
lisle ! "  he  said,,  sternly. 

Mr.  Morrel  flashed.  He  felt  a  strong  temptation  to  answer 
at  once,  and  tell  all,  but  he  had  given  his  promise,  and  he  was 
a  lawyer. 

"  Be  seated,  my  lord,"  he  said. 

Lord  Norman  declined  the  chair. 

".  I  ask  you  for  Miss  Carlisle's*  present  address/*  he  said, 
with  a  terrible  significant  calmness. 

Mr.  Morrel  shook  his  head. 

"  I  deeply  regret,  my  lord,  that  I  am  unable  to  furnish  you 
with  Miss  Carlisle's  address,"  he  said,  gravely. 

"Do  you  know  it?" 

"  Yes,  my  lord,  I  know  it." 

"And  you  withhold  it  at  her  request?"  he  demanded,  his 
dark  eyes  gleaming  from  his  white  face. 

"  I  do,  my  lord.  I  gave  Miss  Carlisle  my  solemn  promise 
that  I  would  keep  her  whereabouts  a  secret.  It  is  with  the 
deepest  regret — " 

1  Lord  Norman  took  up  his  hat  and  went  to  the  door,  then 
he  paused,  and  facing  round,  looked  steadily  into  the  lawyer's 
nervous  and  embarrassed  countenance. 

"You  can  cwnmunicate  with  Miss  Carlisle,  I  presume?" 

"  Certainly,  my  lord.  I  shall  be  happy  to  forward  any 
message — ' 

"  Tell  her,  please,"  he  said,  in  a  low,  clear  voice,  "  that 
she  has  nothing  to  fear  from  me;  but  if  he  should  chance  to 
cross  my  path  I  will  shoot  him  as  I  would  a  dog!  That  is 
all ! "  and  he  slowly  turned  and  went  out. 

Mr.  Morrel  gasped  for  breath  for  a  moment. 

"Phew!"  he  exclaimed.  "Tut,  tut!  That  is  it,  is  it? 
Now,  who  would  have  thought  it  of  such  a  quiet,  beautiful 
girl  ?  Tut,  tut  1  but  as  to  giving  her  his  message — no — no, 
really  I  think  it  would  be  better  to  say  nothing  about  him. 
Dear  me!  dear  me!  Looked  half  mad!  Tut,  tut!  I  can 
understand  now  why  she  insisted  upon  changing  her  name! 
Poor  girl !  I  wonder  what  the  rights  of  the  story  are,  after 
aVl?  Shoot  him — who  is  'him/  now — like  a  dog!  No,  no. 
my  lord,  I  can't  send  such  a  message  as  that !  " 

And  so  good  little  Mr.  Morrel  decided  to  say  nothing  about 
Lord  Norman's  visit,  and  thus  another  opening  door  was 
closed  against  Florist  good 


200  MY  LADY   PRIDE. 

CHAPTEE  XXV. 

A     STRE.ET     QUARREL. 

"  IF  I  were  asked  which  was  the  most  beautiful  month  in 
the  year,"  said  a  famous  French  traveler,  "  I  should  answer 
'  May ; '  and  if  you  asked  me  where  I  would  choose  to  spend  it, 
I  should  say  (  Florence.' ' 

It  was  May,  a  lovely,  balmy,  pleasantly  smiling  May,  and 
Florence  was  looking  at  its  best. 

On  one  of  the  bridges,  and  leaning  against  the  stonework 
and  looking  down  at  the  river  was  a  young  girl. 

She  was  dressed  in  mourning — not  heavy  crape,  stiff  and 
hideous,  but  simple  black  merino,  relieved  by  a  touch  of 
white  lace  or  linen  at  the  sleeves  and  throat. 

It  was  a  very  lovely  face  even  in  that  city  of  lovely  faces, 
and  the  people  had  elected  to  call  her,  not  by  the  name  she 
had  assumed,  Lillian  Wood,  but  "  the  pretty  English  lady ; " 
and  there  were  many  who  were  as  pleased  at  winning  a  smile 
from  her  sweet,  sad  face  as  at  drawing  the  copper  coins  from 
the  grand'people  who  rode  lazily  through  the  parks  or  crawled 
languidly  along  the  quays. 

Among  the  English  at  Florence  it  had  been  quite  an  amuse- 
ment, during  the  long,  winter  months,  to  guess  at  the  history 
of  the  graceful  English  girl  who  was  seen  so  often  in  her  soli- 
tary walks  about  the  city;  but  not  one  of  the  chatter-boxes 
ever  imagined  for  a  moment  that  the  girl  who  lived  in  the 
little  house  at  the  corner  of  the  square,  with  the  eccentric  old 
Mrs.  Sinclair,  and  who  was  called  Lillian  Wood,  was  nona 
other  than  Floris  Carlisle,  once  so  nearly  Countess  of  Nor- 
man. 

Tloris  had  come  to  Florence  in  the  beginning  of  the  winter, 
with  a  heart  that  was  too  heavy,  as  Dante  sa^ys,  to  ache  much, 
and  had  found  a  quiet  but  not  unfriendly  welcome  from  the 
lady  who  had  engaged  her. 

Mrs.  Sinclair  was  one  of  those  "eccentric  people  who  permit 
themselves  to  be  absorbed  by  an  idea,  and  give  up  everything 
in  life  to  the  pursuit  of  it. 

Mrs.  Sinclair's  great  ambition  was  to  write  an  exhaustive 
work  on  botany. 

She  was  passionately  fond  of  flowers,  and  had  made  them 
ber  study  ever  since  she  was  a  girl ;  but  the  book  had  not  got 


M*  'LADY  PRIDE,  201 

itself  written  yet,  though  she  was  now  an  old  woman  with 
white  hair  and  failing  eye-sight. 

»  It  was  in  consequence  of  this  failing  eye-sight  that  she  had 
advertised  for  a  young  girl  to  assist  her,  and  she  soon  found 
that  she  had  secured  a  treasure  in  Floris. 

Floris's  work  was  not  difficult;  for  two  hours  in  the  morn- 
ing and  an  hour  in  the  evening  she  was  occupied  in  making 
notes  and  copying  extracts  for  the  great  work;  the  rest  of  the 
time  was  at  her  own  disposal,  and  she  disposed  of  it  in  learn- 
ing Italian  iri  the  quietude  of  her  own  room,  or  wandering 
dreamily  about  the  beautiful  city. 

To  all  intents  and  purposes,  so  completely  was  her  present 
Jife  divided  from  the  old  one  that  Floris  Carlisle  might  in- 
deed have  been  dead  and  Lillian  Wood  have  sprung  from  her 
ashes. 

Mrs.  Sinclair  had  no  friends  beside  the  clergyman  and  the 
professor;  no  English  newspaper  ever  entered  the  house;  no 
tidings  of  the  great  world  on  the  other  side  of  the  channel 
ever  reached  the  Violet  Villa,  as  it  was  called,  and  Floris 
knew  nothing  of  Lord  Norman's  accident  and  illness,  guessed 
nothing  of  the  plot  which  Lady  Blanche  and  Oscar  Raymond 
had  so  skillfully  woven  and  put  into  execution. 

Slowly,  dreamily,  Floris  crossed  the  bridge  on  this  May 
evening,  and  reached  the  library.  She  stood  talking  to  the 
librarian,  to  whom  she  was  known,  then  she  set  off  for  home. 

With  her  book  under  her  arm  she  was  walking  quietly 
through  a  narrow  street  when,  suddenly,  there  came  upon  the 
jdrowsy,  shadowy  silence  the  sound '  of  men's  voices  raised  in 
anger. 

There  was  no  one  in  the  street  excepting  a  couple  of  chil- 
dren at  play  in'the  road  and  a  woman  lolling  at  a  door,  and 
Floris  was  Wondering  whence  the  sound  proceeded  when,  from 
;the  house  opposite  which  she  was  standing,  two  men  came 
out. 

They  came  out  hurriedly;  the  foremost  one  in  silence,  the 
other  one  vociferating  in  the  sharp,  excited.  Italian  fashion. 

Something  in  the  appearance  of  the  first -man  attracted 
•Florists  attention.  As  she  stepped  back  to  allow  them  'to  pass 
she  saw  that  he  was  an  Englishman. 

It  almost  seemed  to  her  for  the  moment  as  if  she  had  seen 
him  before,  and  she  looked  at  him  with  a  quick,  frightened 
pulsation  of  her  heart. 

He  was  particularly  handsome,,  with  a  pair  of  dark,  flashing 


MY  ULDt 

eyes,  and  all  th*  manner  of  a  young  man,  though  hit  hair, 
cut  close  to  the  head,  wai  gray* — almost  whit*— -and  hit  face 
close  shaven. 

It  was  a  singularly  striking  face,  and  it  affected  Floris 
strangely;  why,  she  did  not  know. 

He  did  not  see  her,  and  would  have  walked  past  with  a 
quick  though  not  hurried  step,  but  the  man  who  followed 
him  sprung  forward  and  seized  him  by  the  arm. 

The  first  man  turned  and  faced  him  coolly  enough,  but 
with  a  glitter  in  his  eyes  that  made  Floris  tremble. 

"Well!  "  he  said  in  Italian,  but  with  an  English  accent. 

"  You  shall  not  go !  Hear  me !  I  say  you  shall  not  go !  " 
said  the  man  who  held  him,  vehemently.  "  You — you  Eng- 
lish are  all  alike;  you  win  our  money  and  then,  houf!  vou 
fly !  Come  back !  » 

"  Thanks,  no !  "  said  the  Englishman,  with  a  smile  that  was 
more  exasperating  in  its  cool  sang  froid  than  any  verbal  retort. 

"  You  will  not !  "  shouted  the  other,  through  his  set  teeth. 

"  Certainly  not !  "  replied  the  Englishman.  "  Why  should 
I  ?  I  have  won  your  money ;  is  that  what  you  complain  of  ? 
You  have  won  enough  of  mine,  my  friend." 

The  Italian  ground  his  teeth. 

u  You  are  a  cheat !  "  he  hissed. 

The  Englishman  laughed. 

"You  ought  to  know  a  brother-artist  when  you  see  him, 
iN>rtainly,"  he  retorted,  quietly.  "You  are  an  authority  on 
\ue  subject  whom  I  should  not  care  to  dispute." 

w  You  mean — "  snarled  the  Italian. 

"  Just  this,  mv  friend — that  if  I  had  not  cheated,  as  you 
call  it,  occasionally,  I  should  have  stood  little  chance  against 
you  wLo,  cheat  always!  Good-evening." 

And  with  a  simple  movement  he  wrenched  the  man's  hand 
from  its  fismzied  clutch  and  turned  away. 

At  the  nnsjnent,  while  Floris  was  thanking  her  stars  that 
the  affair  haJ  ended  and  that  she  was  free  to  go  on  her  way, 
the  Italian  ra^ed  his  hand,  something  gleamed  brightly  in 
the  murky  gas-light,  the  Englishman  uttered  a  sharp  cry,  and 
fell  and  staggered  up  against  the  post  of  the  doorway  ill 
which  she  hid. 

Crying  for  help  w  loudly  as  she  could,  Floris  knelt  down 
beside  him  and  raised  Ms  head. 

The  street,  so  silent  a  minute  ago,  seemed  to  start  into  life 
as  if  by  magic,  and  a  crowd  gathered  round  the  two  figures — 


MY    LADY    PRIDE,  203 

the  prone  man  with  his  white  face,  and  the  kneeling  girl 
with  her  gentle,  pitying  one 

In  another  moment  the  police  came  up,  and  Floria  hurried 
home  to  tell  the  terrible  story  to  Mrs.  Sinclair. 

Floris  ^\vas  sipping  her  tea  half  an  hour  afterward,  when 
the  servant  announced  the  clergyman. 

He  was  a  very  old  gentleman,  very  greatly  respected  and 
beloved  by  the  English  community  in  Florence,  and  a  con- 
stant visitor  at  the  Violet  Villa. 

"  I  am  late  this  evening,  dear  madam/'  he  said,  after  ex- 
changing greetings.  "  But  I  was  detained  on  my  road  hither 
by  an  accident.  I  was  crossing  the  road  by  the  hospital 
when  the  porter  ran  across  and  called  me  in.  A  man  had 
been  brought  in  who  had  been  stabbed  in  the  streets." 

Floris  started  and  put  down  her  tea-cup. 

"  He  was  an  Englishman,  and  that  is  why  they  sent  for  me, 
of  course.  I  found  the  poor  fellow  in  the  surgeon's  hands, 
and  very  much  exhausted.  It  appears  that  he  was  stabbed 
while  coming  out  of  a -house  in  one  of  the  streets  off  the 
square.  I  suspect  it  was  a  quarrel  arising  from  some  gam- 
bling transaction.  His  account  of  the  affair  was  not  very 
clear;  indeed,  he  seemed  anxious  to  hush  the  matter  up,  and 
was  very  reticent." 

"  Is  he  very  badly  wounded  ?v  asked  Floris  in  a  slow  voice. 

"No,  toly  slightly — not  dangerously;  at  any  rate,  he  re- 
covered very  quickly,  and,  strange  to  say,  has  left  the  hospi- 
tal. They  tried  to  persuade  him  to  remain,  but  he  resolutely 
declined  and  came  out  with  me/' 

"  Is  it  possible  ?  "  breathed  Floris. 

"  He  is. an  Englishman!  "  he  said,  as  if  that  explained  the 
man's  obstinacy.  "An  Italian,  now,  would  have  given  in 
and  laid  there  for  a  month.  Poor  fellow,  I  happen  to  know 
a  great  deal  about  him." 

"Yes?"  said  Floris. 

"  Yes.  He  is  a  well-known  man  in  Florence,  and  bears,  I 
am  sorry  to  say,  too  famous  a  character  as  a  gambler.  He 
came  here,  why,  dear  me,  a  few  weeks  before  your  arrival, 
my  dear  Miss  Wood !  A  rich  man,  it  was  reported ;  at  any 
rate,  he  seemed  to  be  in  possession  of  a  large  sum  of  money, 
and  for  a  time  lived  in  great  style.  He  became  a  member  of 
one  of  the  fastest  clubs  here,  and  soon  got  himself  known 
as  a  man  who  played  continually  and  for  large  stakes.  Then 
he  disappoaredvfor  a  time,  and  I  heard  that  he  had  caught  the 


204  MY   LADY    PRIDE, 

fever.  Perhaps  that  accounts  for  the  change  which  1  ob- 
served in  him  this  evening;  his  hair,  which  was  dark,  has 
become  almost  gray,  as  is  sometimes  the  case  with  young  men 
with  black  hair.  His  name  is  Kaymond — Oscar  Raymond/' 

Floris  turned  the  name  over  in  her  mind  for  fully  a  min- 
ute, but  she  could  not  recollect  ever  having  heard  it  before. 

She  went  upstairs  to  her  room,  and,  setting  her  lattice  back, 
looked  out  into  the  city,  with  its  countless  lights  beaming  like 
fireflies  in  the  darkness;  but  it  was  not  of  Florence  or  the 
scene  she  had  seen  in  the  streets  she  was  thinking;  strangely, 
unaccountably,  her  thoughts  had  traveled  backward  to  Lord 
Norman,  and  more  clearly  than  she  had  seen  him  for  months 
.past  his  face  rose  before  her  mental  vision.  And  yet  it  did 
not  occur  to  her  that  the  face  of  the  wounded  man,  Oscar 
Raymond,  was  like  that  of  her  lost  lover. 

Perhaps  if  Oscar  Raymond's  hair  had  been  black  and  he 
had  worn  a  mustache  the  resemblance  would  have  been  too 
gr.eat  to  escape  her  notice ;  but  in  the  six  months  of  dissipa- 
tion Oscar  Raymond  had  altered  and  aged  considerably,  and  it 
would  have  been  impossible  for  him  to  repeat  the  comedy 
which  had  proved  a  tragedy  for  Floris  Carlisle! 


CHAPTER  XXVI.  » 

AN  ATTRACTIVE  BOTANIST. 

THREE  weeks  passed  and  the  routine  of  Floris's  life  went  on 
unbroken  like  the  daily  round  of  a  well-made  clock,  and  she 
had  almost  "  remembered  to  have  forgotten  "  the  incident  of 
the  gambling  fray.  She  had  so  far  forgotten  it  that  she  had 
resumed  her  old  solitary  wanderings  about  the  city,  and  one 
;afternoon  was  seated  under  the  trees  in  the  square  with  a  book 
in  her  hand  and  her  eyes  fixed  on  the  enpurpled  hills,  when 
she  became  conscious  that  some  one  was  standing  beside  her. 

She  awoke  from  her  reverie  with  a  start,  arid  was  startled 
to  see  the  Englishman  she  had  last  seen  lying  on  the  cold 
stones  standing  quietly  at  her  elbow. 

He  raised  his  hat  as  she  looked  up,  and  his  dark  eyes  met 
her  startled  gaze  with  a  calm  but  earnest  appeal  in  them. 

"  Do  not  be  alarmed,  I  beg  of  you,"  he  said,  in  a  soft 
grave  voice.     "I  fear  that  I  have  startled  you?" 


MY   LADY  PRIDE.  205 

"T$o — a  little,  perhaps,  said  Flbris,  looking  up  at  him 
slowly. 

She  noticed  as  she  did  so  that  his  face  was  more  pale  and 
haggard  than  when  she  had  first  seen  it,  and  that  his  left  hand 
was  thrust  in  the  fold  of  his  coat. 

"  This  is  the  second  time  I  have  been  unfortunate  enough 
to  alarm  you/'  he  said,  gently,  and  with  a  touch  of  genuine 
self-reproach  and  regret  in  his  voice.  "I  beg  you  to  forgive 
me." 

"There  is  nothing  to  forgive,"  said  Floris,  calmly. 

"  Yes,  there  is  a  great  deal/'  he  said,  gravely.  "  I  have  k 
not  forgotten" — he  stopped,  as  if  uncertain  how  to  proceed, 
then  went  on  after  a  pause — "  I  fear  I  must  have  been  the 
cause  of  great  uneasiness  and  alarm  to  you.  I  wish  that  my 
friend  had  made  his  rash  attempt  half  an  hour  sooner  or 
later." 

-  It  was  said  so  coolly,  with  such  an  utter  lack  of  resentment 
against  the  man  who  had  attempted  his  life,  that  Floris  gazed 
at  him  with  renewed  interest. 

"  I  am  glad  that  you  are  better,  that  you  were  not  badly 
hurt.  I  mean,"  she  added,  glancing  at  his  arm,  "  that  you 
were  not  killed." 

"  Oh,  it  was  nothing,"  he  said,  quietly ;  "  but  it  might  have 
been  worse  but  for  you,  madam." 

"  For  me  ?  "  with  a  quick  glance  of  surprise. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  in  a  low  voice.  "  You  stanched  the  wound 
in  time;  they  said  at  the  hospital  that  my  recovery  owed 
everything  to  that." 

Floris  looked  down. 

"  I  did  very  little ;  I  was  too  frightened.  But " — with  an- 
other upward  glance — "  how  did  you  know  it  was  .1  ?  " 

"  I  saw  you  for  a  moment  as  the  blow  was  struck,  and  at 
the  hospital  they  gave  me  this." 

And  he  took  from  inside  the  breast  of  his  coat  her  hand- 
kerchief. 

"My  handkerchief!"  she  murmured.     "I  had  forgotte^ 
-  it."  I 

And  she  held  out  her  hand. 

He-  was  looking  at  the  handkerchief  with  a  strange,  intent 
expression  in  his  eyes,  and  it  dwelt  in  them  still  as  he  turned 
them  on  her  and  held  out  the  handkerchief  with  a  reluctance 
which,  though  not  marked,  Floris  did  not  fail  to  notice. 


206  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

police — they  are  always  fond  of  mystery — declined  to  give  me 
your  name.  Perhaps  they  were  right;  yes,  they  were  quite 
right — you  had  suffered  enough  annoyance.  Not  having  your 
name,  I  was  forced  to  wait  and  watch  for  you.  1  have  seen 
you  twice  before,  but  not  alone,  and  I  wanted  to  see  you 
alone  and  thank  you." 

Floris  inclined  her  head.  It  affected  her,  this  knowledge 
that  she  had  been  watched  and  waited  for  by  this  strange 
man. 

He  stood  beside  her  silently  for  a  moment,  then  he  said: 

"  There  was  something  else  of  yours,  madam,  which  fell 
into  my  hands,  A  book — " 

"  Yes,"  said  Floris,  quickly. 

"  It  was  picked  up  close  by  the  spot  where  I  fell ;  and  they 
gave  it  me  under  the  impression  that  it  belonged  to  me.  I 
will  restore  it  you  if  you  will  tell  me  where  I  may  bring  it." 

"  Send  it  to  Violet  Villa,"  said  Floris,  "  if  you  please." 

lie  bowed.  Floris  was  about  to  rise  and  bid  him  good-day 
when  he  spoke  again. 

"  You  are  fond  of  flowers — study  them — madam  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Fkris. 

"  I  judged  so  from  the  contents  of  the  book.  I  also  am 
fond  of  flowers.  I  have  a  collection,  a  poor  one,  but  there  are 
some  rarities  among  it.  Should  I  be  asking  too  much  if  I 
* begged  you  to  accept  of  two  specimens,  madam?  " 

He  spoke  with  such  gravity  and  respect  that  Floris  could 
not  find  it  in  her  heart  to  refuse  the  offer. 

"  I  have  a  friend  who  will  be  very  glad  to  have  them,"  she 
said  simply.  "  I  am  her  assistant,  and  the  book  was  for  her 
use,  not  mine.  Will  you  send  them  to  the  Violet  Villa?" 

"  1  will,"  he  said. 

Floris  went  home  in  a  strange  condition  of  mind. 

The  man's  manner — his  words,  had  affected  her  curiosity. 
She  found  herself  going  over  them  in  her  mind  with  a  wild 
sense  of  having  heard  them  before,  or  rather  having  heard  the 
voice  before.  She  said  nothing  to  Mrs  Sinclair  of  the  meet- 
ing, but  set  to  work  that  evening  with  a  strong  determination 
to  forget  the  whole  occurrence.  In  the  morning  a  messenger 
,from  one  of  the  hotels  brought  a  packet  and  a  note  addressed 
to  Miss  Lillian  Wood. 

With  an  unusual  tremor  .Floris  opened  it. 

It  contained,  in  addition  to  hpr  book,  a  packet  inclosing 


MY  LADY  PR  IDT:.  2x07 

half-a-dozen  dried  specimens  of  what  she  knew  at  a  glance 
were  rare  flowers,  and  a  note.     It  ran  as  follows : 

vk  MAD.\M' — 1  send  the  book  which  I  found,  and  the  flow- 
ers. It  would  afford  me  a  deep  satisfaction  if  you  would 
allow  me  to  offer  you  the  remainder  of  my  collection,  which  I 
hold  as  useless  unless  it  prove  of  value  in  your  eyes.  Yours 
very  truly,  OSCAR  RAYMOND/' 

Floris  sat  and  pondered  over  this  note  for  some  minutes ; 
then  she  went  and  bodily  carried  both  flowers  and  note  to 
Mrs.  Sinclair. 

The  old  lady  listened  indifferently  enough  until  Floris  came 
to  the  flower  part  of  the  story;  then  she  woke  to  interest,  and 
seized  the  specimens  and  uttered  a  cry  of  delight. 

"  My  dear  girl,  where  did  you  get  these?  Who  gave  them 
to  you?  Where,  did  you  say?  Mis  collection!  Whose?" 

Floris  explained. 

"Accept  them !  Rob  the  man  of  such  treasures !  Impossi- 
ble, of  course!  But  I  must  see  it!  If  the  rest  are  anything 
as  good  as  this  it  must  be  priceless!  What  is  his  address ?" 

Floris  named  the  hotel. 

"Write  to  him  at  once,  and  ask  him  to  call/'  said  the  ol<3 
lady. 

Floris  hesitated  for  a  moment,  then  she  went  to  her  writing- 
table  and  wrote  a  short  note,  thanking  him  for  the  flowers 
and  book.,  and  requesting  him  to  call  on  Mrs.  Sinclair. 

She  signed  the  note,  of  course,  with  her  assumed  name, 
Lillian  Wood,  and  she  resolved  that  if  he  should  accept  the 
invitation  she  would  not  appear. 

On  the  morrow  he,  came  and  was  shown  into  the  library, 
and  as  the  door  was  opened  for  him  Floris  passed  out  into  the 
drawing-room. 

When -she  heard  the  servant  let  him  out  of  the  house  she 
returned  to  the  library  to  find  that  Mrs.  Sinclair  was  even 
more  fascinated  than  she  herself  had  been. 

"That's  a  wonderful  young  man  you  have  discovered,  my 
dear !  "  she  said,  with  unwonted  enthusiasm. 

"I  discovered!"  said  Floris,  elevating  her  eyebrows. 

"  Well,  well;  it  was  through  you !  "  said  the  old  lady,  impa- 
tiently. "At  any  rate,  I  am  much  obliged  to  you.  T  don't 
know  when  T  have  enjoyed  a  visit  more.  He  doesn't  know 
very  much  $bout  botany,  but  what  he  does  know  he  knows 


208  MY  LADY  PRIDE. 

thoroughly ;  and  he  has  traveled.  There  do.es  not  seem  to  bfc 
any  place  that  he  does  not  know.  Ah,  that  is  where  men  have 
the  advantage  over  us  poor  women!  He  is  coining  here  to- 
morrow to  tea,  and  will  bring  some  specimens  with  him." 

The  next  evening,  as  the  lamps  came  in,  Mr.  Oscar  Ray- 
mond was  announced. 

Mrs.  Sinclair  greeted  him  warmly,  but  Floris  merely  in- 
clined her  head. 

She  officiated  at  the  tea-table,  and  gave  him  a  cup  of  tea, 
then  took  a  book  and  went  to  a  remote  corner. 

He  did  not  speak  a  word  to  her  for  some  time,  but  confined 
his  attentions  to  Mrs.  Sinclair,  listening  rather  than  talking> 
his  well-shaped  head,  with  its  close,  iron-gray  hair,  bent  with 
respectful  interest. 

Two  days  passed,  and  on  the  third  Oscar  Raymond  ^ame 
again. 

Floris  was  in  the  library  with  Mrs.  Sinclair,  and  scarcely 
looked  up  when  he  came  and  made  his  bow. 

As  before,  he  devoted  himself  to  the  old  lady/ and  did  not 
venture  to  address  Floris  until  just  as  he  was  leaving. 

Then  he  came  and  stood  beside  her,  with  his  hat  in  his 
hand,  and  waited  until  she  looked  up. 

"  Are  you  going,  Mr.  Raymond  ?  "  she  said,  coldly. 

"  Yes,"  he  answered,  with  a  touch  of  sadness  in  his  voice  \ 
"  I  am  going.  I  waited  to  say  '  good-by 9  instead  of  '  good- 
day/  Miss  Wood." 

Floris  looked  at  the  paper  spread  out  on  the  desk  before 
her. 

"  Mrs.  Sinclair,  having  bade  him  adieu,  had  turned  to  'her 
books  as  if  there  was  no  one  beside  herself  in  the  room. 

"  You  are  going  to  leave  Florence  ?  "  said  Floris,  f of  want 
•of  something  better  to  say. 
/     "  Yes,"  he  said.     "  You  have  driven  me  away." 

"  T  ?  "  exclaimed  Floris,  flushing  but  avoiding  his  iuiense 
gaze. 

"  Yes,  Miss  Wood,  you.  Oh,  do  not  think  me  so  blind  as 
not  to  be  able  to  see  that  my  presence  is  distasteful  to  you !  " 

''  Mr.  Raymond !  "  she  said,  very  rebukingly. 

"  It  is  true,"  he  continued,  sadly.  "  I  know  that  you  will 
be  glad  when  T  am  gone.  You  have  avoided  me  so  plainly 
that — "  he  paused. 

A  vague  feeling  of  remorse  seized  Floris. 

"  I  am  very,  very  sorry,"  she  quietly  murmured. 


MY  LADY   PRIDE. 

"No,  do  not  say  that!  I  know  so  well  that  you  are  glad 
this  is  the  last  time  you  will  see  me.  And  yet  you  do  me  a 
wrong,  believe  me !  " 

"  How  ?"  she  asked,  in  a  low  voice,  though  she  might  hare 
safely  shouted  so  far  as  Mrs.  Sinclair,  absorbed  in  her  books,, 
was  concerned. 

"In "this/'  he  said,  humbly.     "You  have  heard  stories 
about  me;  you  have  heard  that  I  am  one  whose  character 
is  so  bad  that  I  am  unfit  to  breathe  the  same  air  as  your- ' 
self." 

Floris  lowered  her  lids. 

"You  do  not  deny  it/'  he  went  on.  "Would  to  Heaven 
that  I  could  say  they  were  false.  But  I  cannot,  least  of  all 
.to  you!  But" — he  sighed,  and  his  voice  grew  strangely  soft 
and  sad — "  but  it  is  possible  for  even  such  as  I  to  repent  and 
change.  And  I  have  done  both.  Miss  Wood,  the  man  who 
stands  before  you  is  a  different  man  to  him  whom  you  saw  en- 
gaged in  a  vulgar  brawl  a  month  ago." 

Floris  remained  silent.     Her  heart  beat  fast  and  furiously. 

The  soft,  penitent  voice,  the  humble,  pleading  words  af- 
fected her  more  than  she  cared  to  show. 

"A  month  may  be  a  lifetime,  and  this  month  has  been  a 
lifetime  to  me !  I  have  learned  that  all  my  past  life  has  been 
wasted,  and  of  no  account — worse  than  wasted,  seeing  how 
gyeat  a  barrier  it  has  raised  between  such  as  I  am  and  you." 

Floris  tried  to  rise,  to  speak,  but  she  could  not;  the  soft, 
musical  voice  held  her  bound  and  inthralled,  and  as  she  lis- 
tened came  the  old,  old  question,  "  Where  had  she  heard  it 
before?" 

"  I  cannot  tell  you  how  your  coldness  and  avoidance  of  me 
Affects  me,"  he  went  on;  "but  I  can  not  leave  you  forever 
without  telling  you  that  the  change  which  has  been  wrought 
in  me  is  your  work,  and  has  been  as  much  your  doings  as — as 
that  writing  beneath  your  hand." 

"  I  can  not  listen,"  murmured  Floris,  slowly. 

"  Bear  with  me !  "  he  pleaded^  humbly.  "  Though  I  know 
I  risk  all  by  thus  prematurely  laying  my  heart  bare  before 
you,  I  must  speak !  I  must  bare  it !  Miss  Wood,  Lillian !  •  I 
love  you ! " 

Floris  rose,  pale  and  trembling. 

"  You— you— ; 

"I  love  you,"  he  said,  white  and  trembling,  even  as  she 
was.  "There.  I  have  said  it.  and  let  it  stand.  It  has  been 


210  Ml    LADY    PRIDE. 

on  my  mind — on  my  lips — no  hope  of  winning  you — and  yet 
I  must  say  it.  But  before  I  go,  will  you  let  me  plead  on  my 
behalf?" 

Floris  was  silent. 

The  witchery,  the  fascination  which  this  man  could  exercise 
by  voice  and  manner  was  insensibly  stealing  over  her. 

His  handsome  face,  the  dark  eyes  glowing  with  the  passion 
of  intense  love,  seemed  to  sink  into  her  soul. 

A  kind  of  mystic  glamour  seemed  to  inwrap  her  as  in  some 
subtle  shroud. 

She  could  not  lift  her  eyes  to  his;  she  could  not  speak. 

"  I  love  you/'  he  repeated,  and  Floris,  as  she  listened,  won- 
dered why  the  words  did  not  ring  and  re-echo  in  the  ears  of 
Mrs.  Sinclair  as  they  did  in  her  own;  but  the  enthusiast  was 
absorbed  by  her  books  and  heard  nothing. 

"  I  love  you  with  all  'my  heart  and  soul !  Send  me  away 
from  you  forever  and  I  shall  love  you  still.  While  I  live  I 
shall  carry  your  image  in  my  heart.  1  a  in  a  changed  man. 
I  am  Oscar  Kaymond  no  longer.  I  can  scarcely  recognize  my- 
self !  A  month  ago  I  was — all  that  you  had  been  told  I  was ; 
but  now  I  stand  before  you  a  different  being,  reformed,  puri- 
fied by  my  love  for  you.  I  beg,  I  implore  you  to  hesitate 
before  you  cast  me  dff.  Such  as  I  am,  my  love  for  you  has 
made  me.  For  heaven's  sake  have  pity  on  me." 

His  voice  grew  hoarse  and  broken,  but  still  the  nameless 
fascination  held  Floris  bound  as  in  a  chain. 

She  panted  for  breath,  like  a  deer  hard  pressed  by  the 
hounds  and  held  at  bay. 

'I — I  will  not  listen — I  can  not  believe.  Oh,  go — please, 
go! "  she  panted. 

He  took  up  his  hat. 

"Will  you  meet  me  in  the  square,  under  the  limes,  to- 
morrow, at  eleven?5'  he  pleaded.  "If  it  be  the  last  time, 
meet  me  there.  A  soul  trembling  'twixt  evil  and  good — I  beg 
for  one  last  word." 

"  I — I  will  meet  you/'  she  panted. 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  21J 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

A      BLOW      THAT      STUNNED. 

FLORIS  lay  awake  that  night  thinking  of  this  which  had 
befallen  her. 

The  passionate  words,  the  pleading  voice,  rang  in  her  ears 
so  that  she  could  not  sleep,  could  not  think. 

She  went  about  the  house  the  next  day  like  a  wan  ghost,  so 
pale  and  quiet,,  and  yet  so  lovely  in  her  pallor  and  quietude, 
that  even  Mrs.  Sinclair  smiled  through  her  spectacles  admir- 
ingly, 

''  You  were  right  to  call  yourself  Lillian,  my  dear,"  she 
said.  "  You  are  like  a  lily  broken  down  by  rain,  this  morn- 
ing; but  I  don't  like  to  see  you  so  pale.  You  must  not  do 
any  work  to-day." 

But  Floris  insisted  with  eagerness  upon  accomplishing  her 
daily  task. 

The  day  wore  on,  the  bells  filled  the  soft  spring  air  with 
their  melody,  and  as  the  sun  began  to  slip  behind  the  hills, 
she  stole  out  to  keep  her  appointment. 

.  As  she  reached  the  square,  glowing  bravely  in  its  budding 
foliage  and  sweet  with  the  scent  of  almond  blossoms,  she  saw 
him  pacing  to  and  fro,  his  arms  folded  on  his  breast,  the  sun 
shining  on  the  close-cut  iron-gray  hair. 

He  turned  and  saw  her,  and  came  toward  her  with  that  pe- 
culiar suppressed  eagerness  which  belongs  to  a  lover  who  is 
still  in  the  agonies  of  suspense,  and  raised  his  hat.  Floris 
gave  him  her  hand,  and  he  walked  beside  her  to  the  seat. 

"  It  was  good  of  you  to  come,"  he  said  at  last.  'I  scarcely 
dared  to  hope  that  you  would  grant  my  request ;  it  seemed  a 
bold  and  presumptuous  one  while  I  made  it,  but  after  I  left 
you  it  grew  in  my  mind  to  be  audacious.  And  vet  I  could 
1  not  say  all  I  wished  to  say  last  night  before  ^onr  friend.  Ah, 
yes,  it  was  good  of  you  to  come." 

Floris  looked  straight  before  her ;  his  voice  seemed  to  sound 
as  if  from  a  distance  and  mingled  with  the  strains  of  the  brass 
band  on  the  quay. 

"I  had  promised,"  she  said,  in  a  low  voice;  " but  I  am 
sorry — " 

"Ah,  do  net  say  that,"  he  broke  in.     '"If  you  knew  how 


MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

I  have  looked  forward  to  this  meeting,  how  I  have  counted 
.  the  hours — " 

He  stopped,  and  his  white,  thin  hand  went  to  his  lips,  as  if 
to  repress  the  eagerness  and  passion  with  which  he  had  begun 
to  speak,  for  Floris  had  shrunk  slightly. 

"  I — forgive  me — I  am  too  impetuous,"  he  pleaded ;  "  but 
the  de]  »th  of  my  love  for  you  must  be  my  excuse.  Miss  Wood, 
I  have  asked  you  to  meet  me  here  that  I  may  have  a  precious 
opportunity  of  telling  you*  how  devotedly  I  love  you,  and  tell 
vou  what  sort  and  manner  of  man  it  is  who  dares  to  lift  his 
eyes  to  you.  Love,  they  say>  levels  all  distinctions ;  but  I  feel  I 
that  there  is  a  gulf  between  us  which  only  your  charity  and 
mercy  uan  bridge  over." 

He  paused,  and  Floris  saw  the  hand  resting  on  the  seat  near 
ber  elbow  tremble  like  a  leaf  in  the  breeze. 

"  Last  night,  when  I  spoke  to  you — with  the  mad  reckless- 
ness of  a  man  possessed  with  one  idea,  one  hope,  one  mad 
lodging  and  desire,  I  expected,  I  dreaded  that  you  would  send 
n>^  from  you  with  a  word  of  contempt  and  anger.  Miss  Wood, 
it  would  have  been  only  just  contempt  and  well-merited  anger. 
Who  am  I  that  I  should  dare  to  speak  of  love  fco  such  as  you? 
Who  ?m  I?  I  will  tell  you.  I  was  once  a  gentleman,  have 
been  an  adventurer  and  a  gambler — for  heaven's  sake,  do  not 
turn  away !  Hear  me  out,"  for  Floris  had  shrunk  away  from 
him  slightly  but  preceptibly.  "  Hear  me  out-,  I  beseech  you," 
he  pleaded,  moistening  his  lips  and  clutching  the  seat.  "  I 
say  that  I  was  an  adventurer  and  gambler,  yet  a  change 
has  come  over  my  life — my  very  thoughts.  Fate  favored 
me ;  I  saw  you  again  in  the  quiet  sanctity  of  your  home ; 
the  reverence  which  you  had  filled  me  with  leaped  into  a  love 
so  deep  and  passionate  that  I  could  not  repress  its  utterance. 
Though  I  felt  that  you  must  drive  me  from  you,  as  I  deserve 
to  be  driven,  I  must  speak,  I  must  tell  you  all  that  your 
beauty,  your  purity,  your  goodness  have  wrought  in  me." 

Floris  roused  herself  from  her  reverie  and  raised  her  head, 
but  he  put  up  his  hand  slowly. 

"  Do  not  answer  me  yet.  Give  me  a  few  more  minutes,  a 
few  kind  words,  then— -then  do  with  me  what  you  will.  I 
have  said  that  I  am  a  gentleman  by  birth ;  but  I  am  poor — 
oh,  I  know  you  so  well,  though  I  have  seen  you  so  few  times 
that  I  know  money,  wealth  or  poverty  would  make  little 
difference  to  you!  I  am  poor.  I  could  be  a  rich  man  yet, 
for  I  have  learned  some  skill  at  the  gambling  table,,  but  all 


MY    LADY    T'lfim  .  213 

that  is  passed.  I  have  touched  my  last  card,  come  what  will. 
From  the  hour  that  I  first  saw  you  I  resolved  that  my  life,  if  I 
decided  to  keep  it,  should  hecome  a  changed  one.  In  the 
future  I  would  place  myself  in  the  ranks  with  honest  men, 
would  leave  the  old  life  of  adventure  and  trickery  forever. 
There  may  be  little  chance  for  me  in  the  future,  and  yet — 
and  yet  I  am  not  without  hope.  I  am  not  an  old  man ;  I  am 
younger  than  you  think/'  and  he  smiled,  faintly,  "though 
my  hair  has  gone  gray  and  the  life  I  have  led  has  left  its 
marks  upon  my  face.  I  am  young  enough  to  hope  that,  if  you 
will  trust  yourself  to  me,  I  can  make  a  place  for  you  in 
the  world  in  which  you  would  be  secure.  I  am  young  enough 
to  feel  ambition,  an  honorable  ambition,  thrill  through  every 
nerve  at  the  prospect  of  a  life  spent  in  devotion  to  you.  Will 
you  accept  that  life?  Will  you  trust  me?  Will  you  be  my 
wife?" 

He  bent  over  her  as  he  spoke  and  extended  his  hand  tremb- 
lingly toward  her,  his  face  white  and  working,  his  eyes 
pleadingly  fixed  on  hers. 

Floris  sat  motionless,  looking  beyond  him  with  eyes  that 
saw  nothing  of  the  lovely  almond  blossoms  or  the  fair  scene 
stretched  at  her  feet. 

What  should  she  say  to  him?  His  words,  his  manner  of 
saying  them,  moved  her  as  deeply  as  it  was  possible  for  her 
to  be  moved  by  voice  or  words. 

That  he  loved  her  she  could  not  doubt ;  passionate  earnest* 
ness  had  rung  in  every  tone. 

He  had  not  asked  her  to  love  him,  he  did  not  seem  to  ex- 
pect it ;  he  had  asked  her  to  trust  him,  to  be  his  wife,  to  shar« 
and  encourage  his  struggles  toward  a  better  life. 

Should  she  say  "  Yes?  "     Should  she  trust  him? 

What  was  there  left  to  live  for?  No  friends,  her  lover  false 
and  treacherous,  no  object  in  life. 

Why  should  she  not  become  of  some  use  in  the  social 
scheme,  and  let  this  man  take  her? 

Her  silence  tortured  him. 

"Ah ! '''  he  breathed.  "  I  see  it  is  hopeless.  My  past  has 
shocked  and  alarmed  you.  How  could  it  be  otherwise.  How 
could  I  hope  that  you  would  trust  yourself  to  one  whose  past, 
on  his  own  confession,  has  been  as  black  as  mine,  for  your 
life  has  been  like  that  of  an  inoncent  child  playing  amid  the 
flowers  that  lined  its  path ;  you  have  known  nothing  of  man's 
baseness — and  I  come  to  you  with  my  life  all  seared  and 


'-I  \  4  MY   LADY   PRID1. 

stained!  Of  course,  there  can  be  only  one  answer  for  me! 
You  will  fcell  me  to  go,  to  live  honestly  if  I  can,  and  to  forget 
you !  But  that  is  not  possible.  I  can  not  forget.  But  I  will 
remember  you  as  one  who,  like  an  angel  indeed,  shone  in  my 
path  for  one  brief  moment  to  show  me  that  there  was  still 
hope  for  even  such  as  I ! " 

His  voice  trembled  and  grew  almost  inaudible. 

Floris's  eyes  were  filled  with  tears. 

It  was  as  if  a  soul  on  the  brink  of  the  precipice  were  hold- 
ing out  its  hand  to  her,  and  crying,  in  a  very  piteous  voice, 
"  Save  me !  " 

She  turned  her  eyes  upon  him;  he  saw  the  tears,  and  a  wild 
hope  sprung  up  within  him. 

He  drew  a  sharp  breath,  and  his  white  hand  stole  very 
gently  and  fearfully  to  her  arm. 

She  put  up  her  hand,  and  set  it  as  a  barrier  between  them, 

"Wait/*  she  said,  with  a  little  pant.  "You  have  not 
heard ;  I  have  not  told  you— 

"  What  have  you, to  tell  me?  "  he  sked,  fearfully.  "  Speak 
to  me — give  me  an  answer,  for  heaven's  sake.  See,  I  am 
patient,  and — and  ready  to  hear  anything,  to  obey  you  in 
everything/' 

She  struggled  against  the  tremor  that  had  seized  her,  then 
she  raised  her  eyes,  full  of  trouble" and  uncertainty,  to  his. 

"  I  am  a  stranger  almost  to  you — you  know  nothing  about 
me—" 

He  waved  his  hand  passionately. 

"  I  know  that  I  love  you ;  all  else — •" 

She  shook  her  head  gently. 

"And  is  all  the  confidence  to  be  on  one  side  ?  "  she  mur- 
mured." You  have  laid  bare  your  life  to  me,  and  I  can  not 
let  you  think,  even  though  we  are  to  part  now — 

"  Do  not  speak  of  parting,"  he  pleaded,  with  feverish  eager- 
ness. 

"  Even  though  we  are  to  part,  I  can  not  let  you  think  that 
my  past  has  been  no  history,  that — that — I  can  not  go  on,"  she 
broke  off,  piteously. 

"Do  not,"  he  said  quickly;  "'you  shall  tell  me  some  other 
time.  Oh,  it  is  the  present  and  the  future  for  which  I  am 
begging.  Trust  yourself  to  me ;  say  ( I  will  be  your  wife/ 
and  all  will  be  well.  I  know  it ;  I  feel  it.  I  will  make  the  re- 
mainder of  your  life  so  happy  that  the  past,  sad  though  it  may 


MY   LADY   PETDK  215 

hare  IMNNU,  «hall  <wem  like  a  draam  from  wbiab  sujr  love  lias 
awakened  you !  " 

She  hung  her  head. 

"  I — I  do  not  ask  you  to  love  me — not  now,  at  once,"  he 
went  on.  "  In  time — " 

She  raised  her  eyes  and  looked  at  him,  and  the  look  made 
his  heart  grow  cold  for  a  moment. 

"  ISFo,"  she  said,  in  a  low  voice,  "  you  have  not  asked  me  to 
love  you.  Had  you  done  so,  I  would  have  answered  you  be- 
fore this,  at  once,  I  can  not  love  you." 

His  face  went  from  the  faint  flush  which  hope  had  im- 
planted there  to  a  very  wan  pallor. 

"  I  can  not  love  you,"  she  said,  bravely  and  firmly.  "  I 
have  no  power  of  loving  left.  My  heart  is  like  a  stone." 

She  pressed  her  hand  to  her  side  with  a  piteous  little  gesture 
which  wrung  his  heart. 

'"  It  is  as  if  it  were  dead,"  she  went  on,  still  in  the  low, 
quivering  voice.  "There  can  be  no  such  thing  as  love  for 
me.  Is  it  not  right  that  I  should  tell  you  then,  who  have 
been  so  frank  with  me?  "  and  she  turned  her  large  eyes  on  him 
piteously. 

He  bit  his  lip,  and  was  silent. 

"  You  ask  me  to  trust  you,"  she  murmured.  "  If  you  knew 
how  all  faith  in  a  man's  words  was  slain  in  me  you  would 
scarcely  hope  that  even  what  you  have  said  could  move  me." 

The  tears  came  into  her  eyes,  but  she  brushed  them  away 
quickly. 

"Before  I  can  give  you  any  answer  I  must  tell  you  my 
story.  When  you  have  heard  it,  you  will  know  how  impossi- 
ble it  is  that  there  should  ever  be  any  power  in  my  heart  to 
give  back  the  love  you  have  spoken  of.  If — if — when  you 
have  heard  all,  you  still  think  you  will  wish  that  I  should  be 
your  wife — " 

He  seized  her  hand,  but  she  disengaged  it,  and  went  on, 
with  an  unnatural  calm. 

"  If  you  should  still  think  that  I  could  make  your  life  bet- 
ter worth  the  living,  then — " 

"  Then  you  will  say  '  yes  ? '  You  will  be  my  wife  ?  "  he 
murmured,  huskily.  "  Oh,  take  my  answer  now ;  before  you 
say  another  word !  I  care  not  what  may  have  happened  in  the 
past.  I  care  not.  Oh,  do  I  not  know  beyond  all  doubt  that, 
let  it  have  been  what  it  may,  you  are  pure  and  blameless ! " 

His  absolute  trust  and  devotion  touched  her. 


2W  MY  LADY  PTUDE. 

"  Listen  to  me  and  be  patient/'  she  said.  "  You,  who  have 
only  seen  me  here  in  Florence,  only  know  me  as  a  woman  with 
a  broken  spirit,  living  a  life  under  a  dark  and  hewpy  cloud. 
It  is  hard  for  me  even  to  remember  that  a  short  time  ago — 
ah,  how  long  it  seems  sometimes — I  was  a  happy,  light-hearted 
girl !  I  don't  think  " — pensively,  and  with  a  faint  smile  that 
i was  more  piteous  than  tears — "  that  there  was  ever  any  girl 
happier  than  I  was !  I  used  to  fear  .sometimes  that  I  was  too 
happy,  and  to  tremble  lest  the  gods  should  be  envious  and 
send  a  thunderbolt  to  shatter  my  joy-dream— 

"  I  know,"  he  murmured,  softly,  sympathizingly.  "  Evet 
since  last  night  I  have  told  myself  that  it  would  not  be  possi- 
ble or  right  for  man  to  be  so  happy  as  your  '  yes '  would 
make  me." 

Moris  sighed. 

"  I  was  engaged  to  be  married  to  a  man  I  loved  with  all 
my  heart  and  soul — " 

He  did  not  move,  but  his  lips  set  themselves  tightly,  as  if 
he  had  determined  to  permit  no  sigh  of  any  suffering  her  story 
might  inflict  on  him  to  escape  him. 

"  I  loved  him  with  all  my  heart  and  soul,"  she  repeated, 
almost  to  herself,  as  if  she  found  some  strange  comfort  in  the 
words.  "  He  was  my  superior  in  rank  and  wealth,  in  position, 
but  the  world  had  forgotten  that,  and  everybody  thought  that 
we  were  going  to  be  very  happy.  I  did  not  doubt  his  love,  no, 
to  the  last,  the  last  moment,  I  clung  to  my  faith  in  him. 
Even  now  I  wake  sometimes  at  night  and  wonder  whether  I 
have  not  been  deceived,  whether  it  could  be  possible  that  he 
should  have  been  so  base  and  false." 

She  paused  a  moment.  Like  a  statue  Oscar  Eaymond 
leaned  on  the  back  of  the  seat,  his  hands  clasped,  his  eyes 
fixed  on  her  face. 

"  We  were  almost  on  the  eve  of  our  marriage,"  Floris  went 
on,  in  a  low  voice,  which,  try  as  she  would  to  keep  it  calm  and 
steady,  quivered  like  the  tremulo  of  a  harp..  "  We  were  stay- 
ing at  a  great  country  house.  Happy,  so  happy,  that  I  began 
to  look  upon  myself  as  one  beyond  the  reach  of  sorrow.  One 
day  " — she  stopped,  and  her  face  grew  white. 

"  Why  tell  me  ?  Why  torture  yourself,  dearest  ?"  he  whis- 
pered, imploringly. 

"  One  day,"  she  went  on,  as  if  determined  to  go  through 
with  the  task  she  had  set  herself,  "  a  servant  came  to  me  with 


MY  LADY  PRIDE.  217 

a  wild  story  which  I  at  first  put  down  to  the  ravings  of  a  luna  • 
tic.     She  told  me  that  the  man  I  loved  was  false  to  me — 

He  did  not  move,  but  his  eyes  grew  fixed ;  with  an  intent 
expression  in  them,  as  if  he  were  looking  through  and  beyond 
her. 

"  She  told  me  that  another  woman  in  the  same  house  had 
stolen  his  heart  from  me,  and  that  that  very  night  they  had 
planned  to  fly  together ;  that  he  had  in  cold  blood  .decided  to 
leave  me  for  her,  to  desert  me  who  loved  him  with  -all  my( 
heart  and  soul,  who  would  have  given  my  life  to  insure  one 
hour's  happiness  to  him,  who,  if— if 'he  had  come  to  me  and 
told  me  that  he  loved  her  best  would  have  given  him  his  free- 
dom and — "  she  broke  off,  and  a  passionate  sob  seemed  to 
choke  her. 

The  man  beside  her  did  not  move,  did  not  speak. 

"  I — I  treated  the  girl's  story  as  a  lie,  a  stupid  invention 
prompted  by  malice.  I — I — oh,  heaven !  it  all  comes  back  to 
me  now !  I  would  not  believe  until  T  had  proof,  until  I  saw, 
heard,  was  shown  beyond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt  that  my  lover 
had  been  false  to  me.  The  girl  offered  proof.  That  after- 
noon I  followed  her  to  a  conservatory  near  a  room.  I — I — 
saw  the  man  I  loved  at  the  feet  of  the  woman  who  had  stolen 
him  from  me;  I — I  can  not  go  on.  T — oh,  leave  me!  leave 
me!" 

And  hiding  her  face  in  her  hands  she  wept,  wept  bitterly 
for  the  first  time  since  her  mother's  death. 

And  he? 

He  stood  beside  her  like  a  man  turned  to  stone. 

Gradually  the  truth  had  broken  in  upon  his  soul. 

Gradually,  step  by  step,  he  had  traced  the  identity  of  this 
woman  he  loved  with  all  the  passion  his  intense  nature  was 
capable  of,  with  the  girl  whose  happiness  he  had,  with  diabol- 
ical ingenuity,  wrecked  and  ruined. 

The  blow  stunned  him.  Tt  was  as  if  some  one  had  plucked 
his  heart  out  by  the  roots. 

Despair— despair  darker  and  more  terrible  than  that  which] 
falls  upon  the  assassin — fell  upon  him,  like  the  cold  hand  of ! 
death. 

The  girl  with  the  pure,  swept  eye?,  with  tKe  paler  lovely, 
suffering  face,  was  the  girl  whose  happiness  lie  Kafl  Hunted 
down  and  destroyed ! 

She  was  not  Lillian  Wood,  but  Ploris  Carlisle! 


218  aiY   LADY    PK1DL. 

CHAPTEE    XXVIIL 

FIGHTING     HFE\S     BATTLE 

FLORIS  CARLISLE  !  He  clutched  the  seat  with  both  hands, 
and  looked  down  at  her  as  she  bent  forward,  her  face  hidden 
in  her  hands,  her  slight  figure  shaken  by  her  grief;  looked 
down  at  her  with  an  expression  in  his  face  which,  dreadful 
as  it  was,  but  poorly  reflected  the  remorse  within  him. 

lietribution !  What  retribution  could  be  more  dire — more 
complete  than  this  ? 

That  the  very  woman  who  had,  as  it  were,  plucked  him 
from  the  depths  of  degradation  and  inspired  him  with  a  de- 
sire for  a  higher  life  should  prove  to  be  the  girl  whom  he  had, 
with  cold-blooded  heartlessness,  tricked  and  deceived  ! 

It  seemed  so  direct  a  blow  from  an  indignant  Providence 
that  lie  stood  stunned  and  overwhelmed. 

What  should  he  say  to  her?.  Great  and  merciful  Heaven! 
what  could  he  say?  In  an  instant  a  wild  temptation  assailed 
him.  Why  should  he  tell  her  who  he  was,  and  the  crime  he 
had  committed? 

Why  not  keep  his  secret  forever,  or  at  any  rate  until  he  had 
married  her  and  made  her  his  own?  He  might  tell  her  then, 
perhaps. 

He  put  the  terrible  temptation  away  from  him  with  a  shud- 
der. Vile  as  he  "had  been,  he  was  not  vile  enough  for  that. 

His  head  drooped ;  a  wistful,  aching  longing  came  over  him 
to  toll  her  all ;  to  throw  himself  at  her  feet  and  say,  "  It  is  I, 
who  love  you  better  than  life  itself,  who  have  done  this !"  but 
he  could  not  find  strength"  for  it. 

Tie  waited ;  silent,  motionless — his  brain  whirling,  his  heart 
aching-  with  a  dull,  gnawing  despair. 

Toon's  struggled  with  her  outburst  of  grief. 

Rlowlv  she  raised  her  head,  and  stretched  out  her  hand 
fownrd  him,  bnt  he  did  not — could  not — take  it. 

""Forgive  me!"  she  said:  "T — T — have  been  very  selfish. 
"Rnt  it  will  all  come  back  to  mo  so  plainly!  Tt  seems  only 
yesterday  that  it  all  happened,  instead  of  months  ago!  And 
now — .now  that  T  have  told  you  all,  you  see,  do  you  not,  th'at 
it  i«  impossible  T  could  evor  be  your  wife:  do  yon  not?" 

Ho  tried  to  speak,  but  tlio  words  rHod  away  on  his  dry  lip?. 

"Ah,  yes/'  she  said,  "  it  is  better  that  it  should  be  so, 


MY    LADY    PIUDE. 


you  should  understand  why  —  why  it  cannot  be  as  you  would 
wish  it.  But  I  am  very  grateful;  you  have  been  very  kind 
and  considerate,  and  I  am  sorry  that  1  could  not  say  yes.  As 
to  trust,  yes,  I  would  have  trusted  you.  1  do  not  think  you 
will  go  back  to  the  evil  life  you  have  lived.  If—  4f  ,"  she  went 
on,,  looking  up  at  him  and  starting  slightly  at  the  sight  of 
the  palor  and  haggardness  which  had  settled  on  his  face,  "  if 
you  have  freely  forgiven  me  for  inflicting  so  much  pain  on 
you,  will  you  promise  me  that  —  that  you  will  keep  the  resolu- 
tion that  you  have  made  ?" 

He  was  silent. 

She  sighed. 

"  If  you  would,"  she  pleaded  meekly,  "it  would  be  some 
consolation  for  me  in  my  solitude  to  feel  that  I  had  been  the 
means  of  effecting  some  good  in  my  poor,  miserable  life  ! 
Will  you  not  promise  to  keep  upon  the  path  which  you  have 
struck  out  for  yourself?" 

She  put  out  her  hand  with  a  humble,  deprecating  glance  at 
him,  and  slowly  he  took  her  hand  and  held  it  in  his  own,  hot 
and  burning  and  feverish. 

"  I  promise,"  he  said,  hoarsely.  "  I  promise  !  You  shall 
see  that  I  can  remember,  and  keep  'my  promise.5" 

That  was  all.  He  could  not  trust  himself  to  utter  another 
word. 

He  put  her  hand  clown  gently,  looked  into  her  eyes  with  all 
the  agony  of  despair  burning  in  his,  and  turned  and  left  her. 

With  unsteady  steps,  and  with  the  face  of  a  man  who  has 
suddenly  been  told  that  he  is  condemned  to  death,  he  made 
his  way  to  his  hotel. 

Tt  was  the  Hotel  Italia,  the  best  hotel  in  the  place,  and  he 
held  the  best  rooms  in  it. 

For  when  he  had  told  Floris  that  he  was  poor  he  had  omit- 
ted to  tell  her  that  it  was  his  intention  to  give  up  the  money 
he  had  to  some  charity. 

He  crossed  the  street,  and.  entering  the  hall,  went  up  to  the 
landlord,  whose  voice  he  heard  raised  in  loud  conversation 
iwith  his  wife. 

Oscar  Raymond  leaned  against  the  window  of  the  little 
office  and  waited  till  the  man  was  disengaged. 

Now  and  then  fragments  of  the  conversation  reached  him. 
It  seemed  that  they  were  deploring  their  lack  of  accommo- 
dation. 

An  English  milord  was  about  to  arrive  with  his  friends 


220  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

and  suite,  and  the  Hotel  Italia  was  too  full  to  afford  them 
the  rooms  they  required. 

"BaftaJ  It  is  always  so!"  ejaculated  the  little  landlord, 
excitedly.  "  When  one  is  busy  then  come  persons  -of  im- 
portance, and  one  has  to  send  them  to  the  attics — at  other 
times,  when  one  is  empty,  then  no  one  comes  of  any  kind;  it 
is  always  so!"  ' 

Oscar  Eaymond  stepped  up  to  him. 

"You  can  have  my  rooms,"  he  said.  "I  leave  Florence 
to-night." 

"  But,  signor— " 

"  You  can  have  them  in  half  an  hour,"  went  on  Oscar 
Raymond.  "  Send  my  luggage  to  the  railway  station." 

The  landlord  was  profuse  in  his  regrets  at  losing  so  good  a 
customer  as  Signor  Eaymond,  and  gratitude  for  his  consider- 
ation. 

"  You  see,  this  is  a  great  English  milord — oh,  very  great ! 
and  naturally  the  Hotel  Italia  would  like  to  give  him  of  its 
best." 

"Who  is  he?"  asked  Oscar  Eaymond,  indifferently. 

The  landlord  tried  to  remember  the  name,  but  after  strik- 
ing his  forehead  melodramatically  several  times,  gave  it  up 
as  a  bad  job,  and  Oscar  Eaymond  ascended  to  his  rooms  and 
listlessly  packed  his  things.  When  he  had  finished,  he  de- 
scended and  gave  the  keys  of  his  apartments  to  the  landlord. 

"  They  are  at  your  disposal  now,"  he  said. 

Having  paid  his  bills,  he  went  to  the  station,  and  aimlessly 
took  a  ticket  for  Paris.  In  Paris  he  would  be  able  to  think 
of  his  ultimate  destination.  Here,  in  Florence,  he  could  think 
of  nothing  save  the  pale,  lovely  face  of  the  girl  he  had  left 
weeping  in  the  square;  the  girl  whose  happiness  he  would 
give  his  heart's  blood  to  secure ;  the  girl  whose  felicity  he  had 
ruined  and  wrecked. 

More  utterlv  wretched  than  he  had  thought  it  possible  for 
"him  ever  to  be,  he  paced  tip  and  down  the  station. 

The  usual  bustle  and  stir  of  an  arriving  train  passed  him 
by  unnoticed,  the  people  stared  now  and  then  at  the  tall,  dis- 
tinguished man  with  the  wan,  haggard  face,  but  he  was  un- 
conscious of  their  glances.  All  his  thoughts  were  concen- 
trated on  Floris  Carlisle. 

The  expected  train  came  in,  and  he  was  turning  in  his  rest- 
less promenade  to  get  out  of  the  way  of  the  bustle^  when  he 


MY  LADY   PRIDE. 

saw  the  door  of  a  first-class  compartment  open  and  a  gen- 
tleman alight.  It  was  Lord  Norman. 

In  a  moment,  at  sight  of  him,  Oscar  Kaymond  stood  mo- 
tionless, then  with  an  effort  he  recovered  his  presence  of  mind 
and  slipped  behind  a  pillar. 

Lord  Norman  held  out  his  hand  to  some  one  in  the  carriage, 
and  the  some  one  proved  to  be  Lady  Blanche. 

Lord  Seymour  followed,  and  the  two  valets  and  Lady 
Blanche's  maid  came  up  to  them  from  ^a  second-class  car- 
riage. 

Oscar  Raymond  took  in  all  the  scene  meant  in  a  moment. 

They  were  married ! 

He  leaned  against  the  pillar,  his  arms  folded  across  his 
chest,  his  head  drooping. 

They  were  married !  The  plot  he  had  conceived  had  been 
successful ! 

Lady  Blanche  had  triumphed,  and  Moris  Carlisle  was  left 
in  the  blankness  of  solitude  and  desertion. 

An  awful  rage  and  despair  sprung  full-born  into  his  breast. 

Lady  Blanche  looked  more  beautiful  than  ever  as  she  stood 
by  Lord  Norman's  side.  The  old  serene,  placid  loveliness 
had  returned  to  her  fair  face,  and  shone  in  her  velvety  eyes. 

"I  have  triumphed!  I  have  won!"  seemed  to  proclaim 
itself  in  her  very  gait  and  bearing. 

And  as  he  looked  there  rose  before  his  eyes  the  vision  of 
Floris,  pale  and  sad  and  despairing,  robbed  by  the  vilest  acts 
of  her  lover,  and  her  young  life  condemned  to  melancholy 
and  hopeless  solitude. 

A  mad  rage  devoured  him.  With  clinched  hands  he  strode 
forward  as  if  to  accost  her,  then  he  remembered  what  he 
was  and  shrunk  back.  But  he  would  not  leave  Florence  now. 

He  waited  until  the  party  had  started  for  the  hotel, 
tn  the  grandest  carriage  available,  then  moodily  followed 
'them. 

When  he  reached  the  hotel,  the  confusion  attendant  upon 
the  arrival  of  such  important  guests  reigned  rampant. 

In  the  stir  and  bustle  and  confusion  of  waiters  and  cham- 
bermaids— flying  apparently  with  no  definite  purpose,  hithei 
and  thither — his  return  was  unnoticed. 

He  waited  in  the  shadows  of  the  hall  for  a  little  while, 
with  no  settled  intention  in  his  mind,  only  a  dim,  vague  rage 
of  impatience,  then  a  thought  struck  him. 

He  went  tc  the  office  and  opened  the  visitors'  book.    Never, 


222  MY   LADY 

for  it  moment,  did  he  doubt,  thai  the\  wrre  married,  but  he 
thought  he  would  ascertain. 

With  trembling  hand  In*  turned  to  the  page  for  the  day 
and  bent  over  it  in  the  dim  light. 

Then,  with  a  low  cry  of  relief,  he  shut  the  hook  and  wiped 
from  his  brow  the  sweat  that  had  gathered  there. 

The  name  she  had  written  was  not  Blanche  Norman,  but 
Blanche  Seymour ! 

They  were  not  married  yet! 


CHAPTER    XXIX 

THE      SPORT      OP      THE      GODS. 

THE  moon  rose  over  the  city  and  poured  its  light  on  to  the, 
front  of  tin?  Hotel  Italia. 

In  a  balcony  on  the  first  floor  Lord  Norman  was  seated  in  a 
low  chair. 

A  cigar  that  had  gone  out  was  between  his  fingers,  and  his 
thoughts  seemed  to  have  wandered  far  away. 

He  was  looking  older  by  some  years  than  when  we  saw  him 
last,  and  there  was  a  scar  on  his  forehead  which  Lord  Harry's 
stag  had  left  as  a  slight  reminder. 

There  was,  too,  a  sad  moodiness  in  the  dark  eyes  that 
robbbed  his  face  of  its  youth  fulness,  and  was  not  good  to  see. 

It  was  the  look  of  a  man  who  had  found  life  considerably 
less  worth  living  for — a  look  of  doubt  and  distrust  of  his  fel- 
lows, which  Trousseau  might  have  worn  in  his  worst  epoch. 

lie  sat  very  still,  and  with  the  grave,  queer  look  in  his  eyes, 
and  doubtless  his  mind  was  wandering  to  some  of  those  moon- 
light nights  on  which,  with  Floris  by  his  side,  he  had  felt 
assured  that  the  world  was  the  best  of  all  possible  worlds,  and 
that  life  was  well  worth  living. 

Absorbed  in  this  moody  contemplation,  .he  did  not  hear  a 
light  step  on  the  window-sill  behind  him ;  and  Lady  Blanche 
stepped  out  and  laid  her  hand  on  his  shoulder  before  he  knew 
that  she  was  near. 

"How  beautiful  it  is,  Bruce!"  she  said,  softly,  looking  out 
on  the  city  that  lay  in  the  moonlight  beneath  them  like  a  pie- 
lure  of  Canaletto's.  "  T  am  awfully  fond  of  Florence.  And 
one  sees  it  at  its  best  to-night." 


MY    LADY    PRIDE. 

He  nodded,  but  did  not  speak. 

Never  very  talkative,  he  had  become  remarkably  silent  and 
short  of  speech  since  the  news  of  Floris's  "  falseness  "  had 
been  broken  to  him. 

"Poor  papa  has  gone  to  bed/'  she  went  on,  softly,  her 
hand  resting  on  his  shoulder,  so  that  her  white,  delicate  fin- 
gers could  touch  his  hair.  "  He  is  tired  out.  What  do  you 
think  he  said  to-night,  Bruce?"  and  she  blushed  and  smiled. 

"  Don't  know,"  came  listlessly  from  his  lips. 

"  He  said  that  we  might  have  waited  until  we  were  married 
-6efore  we  made  this  trip,  and  that  it  was  confoundedly  like  a 
honey-moon.  Poor  papa !  It  was  a  little  too  bad  to  drag  him 
across  the  channel;  but  it  will  do  him  good,  and  I  am  sure 
you  are  ever  so  much  better,  aren't  you,  Bruce  ?" 

"  Considering  that  there  hasn't  been  the  slightest  thing  the 
matter  with  me  for  months  past,  I  may  say  that  I  am,"  he 
answered,  languidly.  "  I've  noiced,  Blanche,  that  you've  got 
a  fixed  idea  in  your  head  that  this  trip  was  made  for  my  es- 
pecial benefit,  It  is  very  flattering  to  me,  but  my — " 

"  Yes,  yes;  I  know,"  she  said,  with  a  little  laugh,  but  with 
a  midden  restless  shimmer  in  her  eyes  that  was  strangely  at 
variance  with  her  serene  and  reposeful  voice.  "  But  all  the 
time  it  was  I  who  was  so  anxious  to  get  out  of  England. 
"  It  is  quite  time,  Bruce ;  I  had  grown  sick  of  England ;  Scot- 
land, especially." 

"  Scotland  isn't  England,"  he  murmured. 

"  I  longed  to  get  away,  and  I  should  have  been  ill  if  I  hadn't 
crossed  the  channel.  And — and  it  was  so  good  of  you  to  con- 
sent to  our  marriage  taking  place  at  Paris — " 

He  looked  at  his  cigar,  and  seeing  that  it  was  out,  flung  it 
away  and  felt  for  his  cigar-case. 

"  I  have  a  letter  to  write  now,  Bruce,"  she  said,  presently. 
"  It  is  but  a  short  one.  Wait  here  and  I  will  join  you  when 
I  have  finished. 

And  she  left  him. 

Fwe  minutes  passed,  and  then  he  rose  and  began  to  pace  up 
and  down.  The  balcony  ran  the  length  of  the  house,  and, 
making  a  turn,  reached  the  head  of  the  staircase  leading  to 
the  street. 

The  city  looked  so  beautiful  that  he  felt  tempted  to  stroll. 
He  got  his  hat  from  the  room,  and  passing  along  the  bal- 
cony went  down  t*he  steps  into  the  street. 

Ten  minutes  after  he  had  gone  a  tall  figure,  a  duplicate 


224:  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

of  bis,  stepped  out  from  one  of  the  rooms  on  the  same  floor, 
and,  walking  to  the  spot  where  he  had  sat,  went  to  the  rail 
and  leaned  over. 

As  he  did  so  Lady  Blanche  came  through  the  window  with 
the  letter  she  had  written  in  her  hand. 

"  Bruce,  I  have  written  my  letter.  Shall  we  go  and  post 
it?  A  walk  would  be  beautiful  now,  it  is  so  cool  and  pleas- 
ant. Bruce,  are  you  asleep  ?  "  and  she  went  up  softly  behind 
him  and  touched  his  arm. 

The  man  turned  slowly  and  raised  his  hat,  the  moon- 
light falling  fully  upon  his  wan  and  haggard  face. 

Lady  Blanche  staggered  and  clutched  the  rail  with  one 
hand  while  the  other  flew  to  her  heart. 

"  Oscar  Raymond !  "  she  breathed,  with  ashy  lips.  "  Oscar 
Raymond !  " 


Lord  Norman  stood  for  a  moment  at  the  bottom  of  the 
steps,  then  aimlessly  turned  to  the  right  and  sauntered  along 
the  quiet  street. 

The  beauty  of  the  city,  hushed  in  the  serene  rays  of  the 
moon,  touched  him  with  a  pensive  sadness,  and  recalled  the 
past  with  a  peculiar  poignancy. 

He  was  to  be  married  to  Lady  Blanche  in  two  or  three 
weeks,  by  which  time  they  expected  to  reach  Paris  in  their 
wanderings;  but  if  any  one  had  stopped  him  and  asked  him 
why  he  was  marrying  her  he  would  have  been  puzzled  to  find 
a  good  and  sufficient  reason. 

After  the  recovery  from  the  shock  of  Floris's  supposed 
baseness,  he  had  declared  that  he  would  never  again  look  upon 
a  woman  with  the  eyes  of  kindness,  would  live  and  die  hating 
and  avoiding  her  sex. 

For  weeks  he  had  kept  himself  secluded  from  the  world, 
had  shut  himself  up  and  yielded  to  the  bitterness  and  grief 
which  the  destruction  of  his  faith  in  the  beautiful  girl-love 
had  caused  him. 

But  men  of  Lord  Norman's  class  can  not  remain  in  seclu- 
sion long.  They  have  duties  to  perform  which  may  not  be 
neglected,  and  gradually  he  emerged  from  his  retirement  and 
was  seen  in  his  old  world  again — the  world  of  the  clubs  and 
"  the  shady  side  of  Pall  Mall." 

Lady  Blanche  played  a  waiting  game,  and  her  reward  cam9 
in  due  season. 


ITT   LADY   i>RIt>12.  225 

One  evening,  in  the  midst  of  a  song  she  was  singing  while 
he  was  lounging  in  the  glass-house  within  hearing,  the  song 
Came  to  an* abrupt  stop. 

He  turned  to  see  the  cause,  and  saw  that  her  head  had 
dropped  on  her  hands,  as  if  she  had  broken  down.  . 

He  flung  his  cigar  away  and  went  quickly  to  her. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Blanche  ?  "  he  asked. 

She  looked  up  and  tried  to  smile,  as  if  ashamed  and  an- 
'noyed. 

"  Nothing,  nothing  at  all,  Bruce/'  she  said,  wiping  her 
eyes.  "  I  felt  rather  low-spirited,  that  was  all.  Everything 
seems  to  go  wrong,  and  at  cross-purposes,  doesn't  it?  Go 
back  to  your  cigar,  Bruce,  and  I'll  play  something  excruciat- 
ingly lively." 

"Do  not/'  he  said. 

Then  he  stood  still  and  looked  down  at  her. 

He  knew  that  she  loved  him ;  she  was  beautiful — a  woman 
of  whom  any  man  might  well  be  proud. 

It  was  necsesary  that  he  should  marry,  unless  he  wished 
the  old  title  he  bore  to  die  out. 

Why  not  she  as  well  as  any  other?  In  time,  he  told  him- 
self, with  a  swift  pang,  he  should  forget  Floris,  should  learn 
to  love  Blanche. 

He  made  up  his  mind  in  a  moment  as  he  stood  there. 

"  Blanche/'  he  said,  laying  his  hand  gently  on  her  shoul- 
der "  will  you  be  my  wife?  " 

For  a  moment  the  color  left  her  face,  and  her  heart  seemed 
to  stand  still.  It  had  come  at  last. 

"  Be  my  wife,  Blanche,"  he  said,  gently,  "  and  I  will  try 
to  make  you  happy." 

She  turned  her  face  upon  him  and  looked  at  him  with  all 
her  soul  in  her  eyes. 

"Ah,  Bruce,  you  would  have  to  try  such  a  very  little!  Ah, 
you  know — you  know !  " 

Then  he. bent  and  kissed  her,  and  she  put  her  arms  round 
his  neck  and  drew  him  down  to  her  in  a  passionate  embrace. 

And  so  she  had  won  him  at  last.  She  was  too  clever  to  rest 
assured  on  a  false  security. 

While  Bruce  was  in  England  he  might  meet  Floris  Carlisle 
at  any  hour,  explanations  might  ensue,  and — 

She  persuaded  him  to  take  her,  Lord  Seymour  accompany- 
ing them,  on  a  Continental  trip. 


MY  LADY  PRIDE; 

"  We  can  be  married  at  Paris,  Bruce.  I  hate  Loadoxu  Let 
us  be  married  at  Paris/"  . 

lie  had  consented,  as  he  would  have  done  if  she  had  asked 
him  to  take  her  to  Timbuctoo;  and  so  here  they  were  in  Flor- 
ence, and  in  a  few  weeks  they  were  to  be  married. 

lx)rd  Norman  sauntered  on,  thinking  of  it  all.,  wandering 
mentally  back  to  the  old  days  when  Floris  was  at  his  side,  and 
he  had  so  often  tried  to  persuade  her  to  name  the  day  for  their 
union.  She  had  always  put  him  off. 

"  She  loved  Bertie  all  the  time,,  poor  girl,"  he  thought  bit- 
terly,  as  he  stopped  and  looked  at  the  river,  leaning  on  the 
bridge,  all  unconsciously,  where  Floris  so  often  stood.  "  Poor 
girl,  why  did  she  deceive  me?  Why  did  she  not  come  to  me 
and  say,  c  Bruce,  I  do  not  love  you ;  I  find  that  my  heart  is 
not  given  to  you ;  I  love  Bertie  ? '  Heaven  knows,  I  would 
have  let  her  go  without  a  single  hard  thought/' 

He  lighted  another  cigar,  and  turned  from  the  bridge. 

Presently,  he  heard  the  sound  of  a  piano.  It  would  not 
have  attracted  his  attention — for  it  was  not  the  first  piano  he 
had  heard  that  night — but  there  was  something  in  the  air  that 
seemed  familiar. 

What  was  it  ?  A  voice  now  rose — a  very  soft,  pretty  voice, 
and  accompanying  the  piano.  He  could  not  catch  the  words, 
and  yet,  almost  unconsciously,  he  found  himself  supplying 
them.  What  were  they  ?  Surely,  he  had  heard  them  sung  to 
this  tune : 

"  My  sweet  girl  love,  with  frank,  gray  eyes, 

Though  years  have  passed  I  see  you  still. 

There  where  you  stood  beside  the  mill, 
Beneath  the  bright  autumnal  skies 

Low  o'er  the  marsh  the  curlew  flew, 
The  mavis  sung  upon  the  bough.     . 

Oh,  love,  dear  love,  my  heart  was  true, 
It  beats  as  truly,  fondly  now. 

Though  years  have  passed,  I  love  you  yet; 

Do  you  still  remember,  or  do  you  forget?" 

Where  had  he  heard  them?  They  were  the  verses  Florib 
had  sung  to  Bertie  one  morning — the  morning  of  the  fancy 
fair.  A  pang  shot  through  his  heart;  in  his  mind's  eye  he 
her  as  she  looked  that  day — so  fair  and  bright  and  girlish ! 

He  looked  up  at  the  house.     It  was  a  villa  almost  shrouded 


MY  T.ADY   PRIDE.  2 

by  trees; -there  wa«  a  light  burning  in  the  window  on  the 
ground  floor,  and  through  the  open  window  came  the  sound 
of  the  piano  and  the  voice. 

A  few  minutes  passed,  and  he  was  about  to  go  on  his  way 
when  he  heard  a  light  step  behind  him.     Some  one  had  come 
from  the  house  into  the  garden,  tempted  into  the  night  air  by 
the  moonlight.     He  wondered  vaguely  whether  it  was  the  un-" 
known  singer. 

The  steps  came  nearer,  and  the  tall,  slim  figure  of  a  girl 
came  slowly  down  to  the  gate  and  stood  behind  it,  so  near 
that  he  could  have  touched  her  with  his  hand,  but  he  could 
not  see  her  face. 

So  there  she  stood  within  reach  of  him,  all  unconscious  of 
his  proximity. 

She  stood  for  a  moment  and  then  turned,  but  at  that  in- 
stant a  longing  to  see  her  face,"  which  had  fallen  upon  Lord 
Norman,  became  irresistible. 

He  rose  to  his  full  height  and  turned  to  the  gate. 

He  knew  her  at  once,  and  his  heart  seemed  to  stand  still. 

If  it  had  been  to  save  his  life,  he  could  not  have  resisted 
speaking  her  name. 

"  Moris !  "  he  said,  softly,  yet  in  a  tone  of  intense  feeling. 

She  heard  him,  and  uttering  a  faint  cry,  put  her  hand  to 
her  heart,  but  she  did  not  turn  her  head. 

Perhaps — who  knows — she  thought  that  it  was  a  trick  of 
her  imagination. 

How  often  in  her  dreams  she  had  heard  him  call  her  thus! 
In  her  dreams ! 

"Floris!"  he  said  again. 

Then  she  turned  her  white  face  and  looked  at  him. 

For  a  moment  they  looked  into  each  other's  eyes  as  if  they 
were  both  looking  at  the  ghosts  of  their  dead  selves. 

Then  she  saw  it  was  indeed  he,  and  with  a  low  cry  of  pain' 
— actual  pain — she  covered  her  face  with  her  hands. 

He  set  his  teeth.  He  misunderstood  the  gesture,  and  took 
it  for  one  of  guilt  and  remorse. 

"  Floris/'  he  said,  in  a  low  voice,  "  it  is  indeed  you  ?  Are 
yon  afraid  of  me?" 


2SS  Mt  LADY  PRIDE. 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE    CURTAIN    UPLIFTED. 

HER  hands  dropped  from  her  face,  and  she  shook  her  head, 
her  great  eyes  fixed  on  him  with  a  wistful  yearning. 

"Will  you  not  speak  to  me?"  he  said,  holding  the  gate 
with  his  hot  hands,  his  heart  beating  fast,  "  You  are  not 
afraid  of  me?  You  have  no  need  to  be!  Speak  to  me, 
Floris ! " 

She  opened  her  lips — the  lips  ,he  had  kissed. 

"  No ;  I  am  not  afraid,"  she  murmured,  and  her  voice 
sounded  to  him  like  a  ghost's.  "  How — why  di4  you  come 
here  ?  "  and  she  looked  around. 

"  I  am  staying  here,  in  Florence,"  he  said,  with  a  voice  that 
shook  from  agitation.  "  I  did  not  know — "• 

"  You  did  not  know  that  I  was  here,"  she  finished  for  him, 
"  or  you  would  not  have  come." 

"No;  I  should  not  have  come.  No!  And  yet  I  am  not 
sorry  that  I  have  seen  you !  " 

A  pause  for  a  moment.  She  could  not  summon  strength 
enough  to  leave  him.  His  eyes — so  wistful,  so  sad,  so  re- 
proachful— held  her  as  by  a  charm. 

"  Have  you — been  ill  ?  "  he  asked,  suddenly,  almost  gently. 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  Why  dp  you  wear  that  black  dress  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  My  mother — "  she  faltered. 

He  hung  his  head. 

"I  did  not  know.  Why  did  you  not  tell — but  why  should 
you?  And  you  are  not  ill?" 

"  No." 

"And — and — you  are  happy  ?  "  he  continued,  hoarsely. 

"The  look  of  reproach,  of  angelic  sadness  that  shone  from 
her  dark  eyes  went  to  his  soul. 

He  sighed — it  was  almost  a  groan. 

"  Has  he  tired  of  you  already  ?  "  he  said,  hoarsely.  "  Great 
Heaven!  Is  it  possible?  Floris,  I  could  almost  wish  that  I 
had  not  seen  you — and  yet — " 

Two  tears  gathered  in  her  eyes  and  fell  slowly  on  her  cheek. 
The  sight  of  them  tortured  him. 

"For  heaven's  sake,  don't  cry!"  he  said,  hastily;  "the — 
the  past  is  over  and  done  with.  I — I  am  sorry  yeu  are  not 


MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

happy.  Oh,  Heaven !  to  see  you  standing  there  and  to  know 
the  gulf  that  divides  us !  Floris — Floris,  why  did  you  do  it?  " 

She  looked  at  him  with  troubled,  wondering  questioning. 

"  Why  did  you,  Floris  ?  Heaven — why  did  you  not  tell  me 
— why  did  you  not  come  to  me  and — and — but  to  go  like 
that  without  a  word !  Did  you  want  to  break  my  heart — 
were  you  quite -heartless,  Floris?  " 

She  looked  at  him  as  if  she  could  not  believe  her  senses^ 
and  one  white  hand  went  to  her  forehead  tremblingly. 

"  I  do  not  understand !  Why  do  you  speak  to  me  like  ihis 
—why  do  you  ask  me  these  questions  ?  Oh,  it  is  cruel,  cruel, 
knowing  how  wicked  you  have  been — how  hard  and  heartless 
yourself !  " 

"  I !  "  he  said,  in  amazement ;  and  in  his  eagerness  and  ex- 
citement he  pushed  the  gate  open ;  but,  as  she  shrank  back, 
he  too  stepped  back  and  closed  it  again.  "  I !  " 

"  Oh,  do  not  mock  me !  "  she  almost  wailed.  "  I  do  not 
want  you*  to  say  that  you  are  sorry ;  I  did  not  wish  to  see  you ; 
I  was  learning  to  forget — 

Her  voice  faltered  arid  broke. 

"  Forget !  "  he  echoed,  almost  ^fiercely.  "  You  can  talk  of 
forgetting  to  me !  Do  you  think  that  any  human  being,  how- 
ever callous,  can  forget  another  she  has  wronged  as  you 
have  wronged  me  ?  " 

"  Wronged  you !  "  she  cried,  in  a  low  voice ;  "  wronged  you  ? 
I?  Oh,  Bruce,  Bruce  I" 

"  Yes,  cruelly,  foully  wronged  me ! "  he  said  passionately. 
"  Did  ever  man  love  a  woman  more  dearly  than  I  loved  you  ? 
And  you  stole  away  from  me,  jilted -me  without  a  word  of 
warning — one  word  of  remorse  or  penitence!  If  I  did  not 
love  you,  I  could  strike  you  down  at  my  feet  now." 

She  shrunk  back  from  his  blazing  eyes  and  wild,  wicked 
words. 

"I  did  you  no  wrong,"  she  said,  sadly,  her  lips  quivering. 

He  controlled  himself  as  if  by  a  mighty  effort,  and  drew  a 
long  breath. 

"  We  will  not  bandy  words,"  he  said,  grimly ;  "  I  will  not 
detain  you  many  moments  longer.  I  want  to  say  this,  and' 
then  I  will  go.  When  I  heard  of  your  treachery — and  his — I 
swore  that  whenever  I  met  him,  let  it  be  when  and  where  it 
might,  I  would  kill  him.  But  I  have  repented  of  that  rash 
oath;  I  should  have  remembered  that  your  love  made  him 
sacred  to  me,  Tell  him  that  he  need  hide  no  longer — that  he 


£30  MY    LADY    PHIDE. 

need  not  fear  me.  For  your  sake  he  shall  go  unpunished  for 
as  black  a  piece  of  treachery  as  the  world  has  seen  sincr 
Judas !  " 

Floris  put  out  her  hand  to  him. 

"  What  are  you  saying?  What  are  these  wild  words?  Whoip 
am  I  to  tell?  Oh,  am  I  dreaming?" 

"Whom?  The  man  who  stole  you  from  me — Bertie-  Clif- 
forde," he  said,  white  to  the  lips  and  unnaturally  calm.. 

Floris  put  her  hands  to  her  brow. 

"  Bertie  Clifforde — the  man —  Oh,  Heaven  !  what  does  this 
mean  ?  " 

lie  looked  at  her,  a  wild,  mad  doubt  rising  in  his  mind. 

"  Yes,  Bertie  Clifforde !     Are  you  not  married  to  him  ?  " 

"  N"o,"  came  from  her  parched  lips. 

He  clutched  the  gate. 

"  No !  Then,  do  you  tell  me — but  no,  he  would  not  be  so 
base  and  vile  as  that.  Then  where  is  he  ?  You  fled  with  him ; 
you  left  Ballyfloe  together!  Will  you  deny  that?" 

Floris  came  nearer.  Truth  alone  in  her  face,  the  dignity  of 
injured  innocence  beamed  from  her  dark  eyes. 

"  T  deny !  No !  It  is  true,  I  came  with  Lord  Clifforde  from 
Ballyfloe— 

He  made  a  despairing  gesture. 

"  Why  should  we  bandy  words  ?  Good-by,  Floris ;  good-by ! 
Tell  him  he  is  safe  from  me ;  tell  him  that — "  he  turned,  as 
her  voice  rung  out,  clear  and  commanding : 

"  Stop !  " 

He  stood  stock  still  and  waited. 

"  Lord  N"orman,  you  have  cruelly  slandered  me — ay,  more, 
an  absent  man !  One  so  honorable  and  good  that  his  name 
should  not  pass  your  stained  and  dishonored  lips !  You  accuse 
me  of  flying — flying — with  Lord  Clifforde !  " 

She  laughed — a  terrible,  piteous  laugh. 

"  What  mad  story  you  have  heard  I  know  not.  The  truth 
is  all  T  know  or  care  for.  Lord  Clifforde  met  me  by  accident 
at  Ballyfloe  station;  he  accompanied  me  to  London^  and  then, 
having  done  all  that  a  brother  could  do  to  comfort  and  con- 
sole me  under  my  heavy  trouble,  he  left  me.  Since  that  hour 
I  have  neither  seen  nor  heard  f roin  him.  There  is  my  answer 
to  the  foul  lie  you  heard  and  believed !  " 

He  glared  at  her— white,  breathless. 

"  Tan — you  received  a  telegram  from  him  ?  * 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  231 

"A  telegram?  "  she  repeated.  "Ah !  From  him?  No,  from 
home.  It  was  to  say  that  my  mother  was  dying — " 

"  Great  and  merciful  Heaven !  Floris — Floris !  "  he  cried, 
in  a  voice  of  despair,  "  is  this  true  ?  Oh,  how  blind,  blind  I 
have  been ;  how  mad !  Floris,  forgive  me !  Forgive — oh,  my 
poor  darling !  Why  are  you  here  ?  Why  did  you  not  write  to 
me  ?  Why — my  brain  is  reeling !  Have  pity  on  me,  Floris, 
and  tell  me  all ;  this  hideous  mystery  holds  me  in  a  net !  " 

She  saw  the  sweat  standing  in  great  drops  upon  his  brow, 
and  his  hands  clinch  on  the  gate  until  they  were  white  as  his 
face. 

"  I  am  here — earning  "my  living/7  she  said,  simply.  "  I 
came  here  to  be  away  from  England,  to  learn  to  forget,  to — 
to — I  must  go  now — Lord  Norman.  Good -by." 

u  No !  "  he  cried,  hoarsely;  "  not  yet.  Go?  By  Heaven,  you 
shall  not  go !  Floris !  Floris !  My  darling,  my  long-lost 
darling !  "  and  he  stretched  out  his  hands. 

A  light,  a  beautiful  light,  shone  in  her  eyes,  and  she  made 
a  step  forward.  Then  suddenly  she  stopped  and  shuddered. 

"  No — no !  "  she  wailed.  "You  forget — you  have  forgotten 
Lady  Blanche!" 

He  started  and  a  cold  chill  fell  upon  his  passion. 

"  Blanche !  "  he  echoed,  huskily. 

Great  Heaven !  He  was  to  be  married  to  her  in  a  few  days, 
married  to  her ;  and  Floris — 

She  put  out  her  hand  to  him. 

"  Oh,  Bruce,  Bruce,  how  could  you  have  been  so  wicked?" 

He  hung  his  head. 

"  Be  just !  "  he  murmured.  "  You  left  me.  I  was  alone 
in  the  world.  I  had  lost  you — why  did  it  matter  whom  I 
married — " 

She  moaned  and  hid  her  face,  then  she  looked  up  sud- 
denly. 

"  I  left  you  !  "  she  said,  in  a  low,  intense  tone.  <e  You  had 
lost  me !  Oh,  Bruce,  Bruce,  you  were  false  to  me  before  I 
left  Ballyfloe.  You  think  I  do  not  know—" 

He  started. 

"  I  false  to  you  before — I  false  to  you !  Floris,  what  is 
this?  For  heaven's  sake,  speak  plainly!  Speak  out  at  once! 
I  am  almost  frenzied  with  this  torture!  I  false  to  you!  Am 
I  dreaming?  " 

She  looked  at  him,  her  eyes  full  of  a  sad  reproach  and  de- 
spair. 


232  MY  LADY  PRIDE 

"  Why  do  you  f or«e  me  to  speak  ?  "  she  said,  in  a  low  voi«e. 
"  What  can  it  matter  now  ?  All  is  pait  b6twe«n  us.  You  are 

married— 

"  No !  "  he  thundered. 

She  panted,  then  her  quick  eyes  read  the  truth. 

"Ah,  not  yet,  but  going  to  be.    Is  it  not  so,  Bruce  ?  " 

He  hung  his  head  then  he  looked  up. 

"  Never  mind  Blanche,"  he  said,  hoarsely,  "  tell  me  what 
you  meant  by  my  being  false  to  you.  What  lies  have  they 
told  you?  Great  Heaven,  what  is  this  mystery  which  has 
wrecked  and  ruined  both  our  lives?  What  have  they  told 
you?" 

She  came  nearer. 

"  Bruce,"  mournfully,  "  what  they  told  me  would  hava 
mattered  little,  but — I  saw  for  myself !  " 

"Saw  for  yourself!     Saw  what?"  he  demanded. 

She  turned  her  head  away. 

"  Bruce,  I — I  was  in  the  greenhouse  on  the  afternoon  you 
came  back  from  Scarfross  to  meet  Lady  Blanche,  and  saw 
and  heard  all  that  passed  between  you!  Oh,  Bruce,  Heaven 
forgive  you  as — I — have  done !  "  and  the  tears  welled  to  her 
eyes. 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment,  silence  broken  by  an  awful 
oath. 

She  started  and  turned  to  him.  He  had  flung  the  gate 
open  and  stood  before  her,  his  eyes  blazing  into  hers,  his  lips 
set. 

"Are  you  mad  ? "  he  cried,  '  almost  inaudibly.  "  Floris, 
look  at  me !  Look  at  me !  Look  at  me,  I  say !  " 

She  raised  her  eyes  to  his  fearlessly,  though  there  was 
something  awful  in  the  expression  of  his  face. 

"  Now  tell  me,  slowly,  carefully,  what  you  mean;  what  yon 
think  you  saw  ?  " 

She  opened  her  lips  once,  twice ;  the  scene  came  back  in  all 
its  force  and  shook  her  very  soul. 

"  Bruce,  I  saw  yon  at  her  feet.  I  heard  you  implore  her  to 
fly  with  you.  I  heard  you  tell  her  that  you  had  never  loved— 
loved — any  other  than  her!  I  heard  you  say  that  I*— oh,  J 
can  not  go  on !  Spare  me !  " 

"  You  saw— yon  heard !  "  he  said,  his  face  close  to  hers. 
"  Great  Heaven!  am  T  going  mad?  When  was  this?" 

"  The  day  you  left  Ballvfloe  for  Scarfross.  Ah,  have  you 
no  pity  on  me,  no  mercy  ?  " 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  233 

et  The  day  I  left  Ballyfloe !  "  he  repated,  disregarding  her 
ftttreaty.  "  You  say  I  came  back  to  Bally  floe — that  I  saw 
Blanche  ?  It  is  a  lie !  Do  you  hear  ?  It  i^  a  lie !  Whoever 
told  you — but  you  saw  me,  you  say?  Floris,  let  me  look  at 
you.  Is  this  my  Floris  who  stands  here  and  tells  me  this? 
Am  I  mad — are  we -both  mad?  Merciful  Heaven,  what  does 
it  mean  ?  Listen  to  me !  "  and  he  drew  her  closer  to  him  by 
her  arm,  so  close  that  his  hot  breath  fanned  her  cheek. 
"  Listen  to  me,  as  if  the  words  I  am  going  to  speak  were  those 
of  a  dying  man!  Floris,  you  could  not  have  seen  me  on  that 
day — you  did  not  see  me,  as  you  describe  it,  on  any  day,  at 
that  time;  but  on  that  day — 1  tell  you  solemnly  here  face  to 
face,  with  Heaven  above  us  to  hear  me,  that  I  did  not  come 
back  to  Ballyfloe  that  day !  " 

She  panted,  and  drew  back  her  head  to  gaze  at  him. 

"  Bruce !  " 

"  I  did  not  come  back,"  he  repeated,  in  a  frenzied  voice. 
"  I  went  straight  to  Scarf ross !  Great  Heaven — do  you  doubt 
me  ?  A  dozen  witnesses  can  prove  it.  There  were  men  whose 
side  I  never  left;  Lord  Harry — Donald.  Go  back — why,  I  did 
not  go  back  for  weeks ;  I  was  nearly  killed  the  following  morn- 
ing—; 

"Ah,"  she  breathed,  her  breath  coming  in  quick  gasps. 

— "  Was  struck  down  by  a  stag,  and  kept  at  Scarfross  for 
weeks .  confined  to  my  bed — to  my  room.  All  this  can  be 
proved !  Are  you  listening  ?  Why  do  you  stare  at  me  so  ?  " 

"  Then — then,  that  is  why  you  did  not  write?  "  »he  gasped, 
an  awful  sense  of  mystery  inwrapping  her. 

"  Yes !     At  first  I  was  senseless  for  days ;  unable  to  write 
for  weeks.    When  I  was  able,  they  told  me  that  you  had — had 
fled  with  Bertie!    Now  do  you  understand  that  you  can  not 
*Save  seen  me  with  Blanche/  as  you  suppose  ?  " 
5    She  uttered  a  cry  of  despair. 
/     "  Bruce,  I  saw  you — " 

"  Great  Heaven !    I  shall  go  mad !  " 

"And  if  it  was  not  you — who  was  it  ?  " 

He  looked  at  her  scared,  frightened  face. 

"  Who  was  it  ?  V  I  saw  you — heard  you  speak  to  her.  The 
girl  Josine — " 

"  Josine !  "  he  muttered. 

"  Josine  told  me  that  I  should  do  so :  led  me  to  the  place ; 
stood  beside  me.  If  you  speak  of  proof — ask  her.  Oh,  Bruce ! 
and  yet — and  yet — " 


234  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

H«  laughed  grimly,  savagely. 

"  And  yet  you  think  I  do  not  speak  the  truth.  My  poor 
Floris  !  My  brain  is  reeling !  There  is  some  devilish  mystery 
at  j:he  bottom  of  this !  What  it  is,,  Heaven  only  knows ;  but 
I  will  learn.  The  girl  Josine,  you  say — where  is  she?  and 
Blanche—" 

"Who  told  you  that  I  fled  with  Lord  Clifforde?"  asked 
Floris,  quickly. 

"  Blanche !  "  he  returned,  quickly. 

A  cold  shudder  ran  through  her.  and  her  head  drooped. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that — "  he  could  not  go  on  for  a  mo- 
ment— "  that  Blanche  lied,  and  purposely  deceived  me — de- 
ceived both  of  us  ?  "  he  said,  hoarsely. 

She  shook  her  Ixead  wearily. 

"I  do  not  know!  I  can  not  say!  It  is  all  dark,  dark 
to  me !  » 

"  But  there  shall  be  light !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Blanche  is 
here  in  Florence.  She  shall  tell  me  the  truth;  the  girl  Jo- 
sine,  I  will  wring  the  truth  from  her !  Oh,  my  darling !  Oh, 
Floris,  my  Floris,  thank  Heaven  it  is  not  too  late ! "  and  he 
put  out  his  arms. 

She  drew  back  from  him,  deathly  pale,  and  her  lips  parted 
slowly,  sadly. 

"  Too  late ;  it  is  too  late !  "  she  murmured,  gently.  "  We 
can  not  bring  back  the  past.  It  is  too  late!  Think  of 
Blanche,  Bruce!  She  has  done  no  wrong.  You — you  are  to 
be  married  to  her — " 

His  hands  fell  to  his  side,  he  turned  his  face*  away. 

"Why  should  she  suffer?  For  us,  Bruce,  all  is  lost  save 
honor.  You  must  still  keep  ,  that !  There  has  been  some 
dark  mystery;  I  do  not  know  what  it  is,  no,  not  even  yetty 
but  we  have  met  again  too  late.  Good-by,  Bruce — good-by., 
In  time,  far  away  in  the  future,  we  may  meet—  ''  her  voice) 
broke,  and  with  a  groan  he  took  a  step  toward  her,  but  she 
drew  still  further  back — "  in  time  you  and  I  will  will  meet  as 
friends — dear,  true  friends — but  no  more,  Bruce.  Good-by !" 

She  put  out  her  hand  as  she  spoke,  and  he  seized  it  and 
held  it. 

•'  Good-by  ? "  he  cried,  hoarsely.  "  Do  you  think  I  am 
going  to  let  you  go  like  this?  Xo !  Floris,  you  are  mine — 
you  love  me  still — " 

"Ah,  yes/'  she  breathed,  the  tears  running  down  her  sweet 
face;  "I  love  you  still;  but  it  is  because  of  that  we  must 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  235 

part.  Stand  firm  by  your  honor,  Bruce ;  do  not  play  Lady 
Blanche  false  as — as — I  once  thought  that  you  had  played  me. 
Good-by!" 

He  caught  her  hand  to  his  lips  and  kissed  it  passion- 
ately, his  hot  lips  burning  it,  and  with  a  cry  of  mingled  pain 
and  joy  that  he  should  so  kiss  her,  she  drew  her  hand  away, 
and  vanished. 


CHAPTEE  XXXI. 

t 

TO     RIGHT    THE    WRONG. 

LADY  BLANCHE,  recoiling  against  the  balcony,  gazed  up 
at  the  wan,  haggard  face  with  the  black,  sombre  eyes  glowing 
like  lamps-amid  its  whiteness* 

"What  are  you  doing  here  ?  "  she  gasped.  "  What  do  you 
want  with  me  ?  " 

•He  looked  down  at  her  with  a  fixed,  intent  expression  on 
his  face,  as  if  he  were  looking  through  her,  like  a  man  play- 
ing some  difficult  part  and  trying  to  remember  it.  The  look 
haunted  her  for  years  afterward. 

"Why  are  you  here?"  she  demanded.  "You  promised 
to— » 

"  Keep  away  from  England,"  he  said,  and  his  voice  sound- 
ed dull  and  hollow.  "  Is  this  England?  I  have  -not  sought 
you — you  have  followed  me.  It  is  the  hand  of  fate !  If  I 
had  not  seen  you  to-night  I  should  have  been  a  hundred 
miles  away.  It  is  fate!  We  played  with  it  for  spme  time, 
trod  it  under  foot,  and  laughed  at  it.  It  is  fate's  turn  now 
to  laugh  at  us,  to  tread  us  undel-  its  avenging  feet.  Lady 
Blanche,  the  whirligig  of  time  brings  its  own  revenges;  it  has' 
brought  vengeance  upon  us — " 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  she  said,  trying  to  look  him  down, 
to  awe  him  with  the  cold  hauteur  which  was  her  second  nat- 
ure; but  the  dark  eyes  did  not  flinch,  the  hard,  hollow  voice 
did  not  falter.  Like  some  prophet  of  t)ld  he  stood  before  her, 
unyielding,  implacable.  "Why  did  you  follow  me  here  to 
the  hotel ?  Do  you  want  money?  If  so,  you  shall  have  it.  I 
will  send  it  to  you.  Every  moment  you  remain  here  is  one  of 
peril.  Lord  Norman  is  with  me.  He  will  return  immediate- 
ly, and  if  he  finds  you — ' 

He  did  not  seem  to  be  listening. 


MY  LADY  PRIDE. 

"  Money ! "  he  said,  as  if  that  word  alone  had  caught  his 
ear.  "  I  have  sold  my  soul  for  money.  Judas  brought 
baok  his  blood-stained  gold' — I  bring  back  yours,  Lady 
Blanche !  "' 

He  thrust  his  hand  into  his  breast  quickly  as  he  spoke,  and 
drew  out  a  leathern  case. 

"  It  is  here — all  of  it !  Take  it !  It  has  been  a  curse  to 
fine!  Look  at  me,  Lady  Blanche,  and  see  that  I  will  speak 
the  truth!" 

She  looked  at  his  haggard  face,  with  its  deep  lines  telling 
of  dissipation  and  remorse;  at  the  white  hair,  which,  when 
she  had  last  seen  him,  was  black  as  Lord  Norman's;  at 
the  cavernous  eyes  gleaming  with  a  feverish  intensity  of  pur- 
pose. 

"  Since  I  left  you  in  England,  carrying  the  price  of  my 
treachery  with  me,  I  have  beeri  living  the  life  of  a  gambler. 
I  have  been  like  one  drifting  toward  the  whirlpoof  of  destruc- 
tion— conscienceless,  without  remorse.  But  a  hand  was 
stretched  out  to  save  me.  To-day,  Lady  Blanche,  for  the 
first  time,  I  have  seen  the  cruelty  and  vileness  of  our  work  in 
its  true  colors.  It  is  as  if  a  veil  had  been  torn  from  before 
my  eyes,  and  the  true  meaning  of  what  we  conspired  to  do, 
and  did,  was  revealed  to  me.  Lady  Blanche,  you  asked  me, 
when  last  we  met,  if  I  had  no  remorse.  I  laughed  the  ques- 
tion away.  It  is  my  turn  to  ask  you  if  you  feel  none  ?  " 

She  made  a  gesture  in.  the  negative. 

"  It  has  fallen  upon  me ;  it  will  fall  upon  you.  Thank 
Heaven,  while  you  have  time,  that  it  is  not  too  late  to  repair 
your  6vil  work !  " 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  she  asked  in  a  voice  of  suppressed 
anger  and  doubt. 

.  "Thank  Heaven  that  you  are  not  married  to  Bruce  Nor- 
man !  The  task  would  have  been  a  thousand  times  harder  for 
you  if  you  had  been ;  it  is  plenty  hard  enough  now/' 

"  What  is  hard  ?  Why  do  you  talk  and  look  so  strangely  ?  " 
she  demanded,  trying  to  speak  haughtily,  but  trembling. 

"  This  night,  Lady  Blanche,  Lord  Norman  must  be  told  all 
that  you  and  I  have  done !  "* 

"What?"  she  gasped. 

"  This  night  he  must  be  shown  how  cruel  an  injustice  has 
been  wrought  an  innocent  girl;  he  must  be  told  that  it  was 
you  who  were  false  and  not  Floris  Carlisle !  " 

She  looked  at  him  for  a  moment  with  a  very  wild;  ineredu* 


MY  LA1,**"   PRIDE.  237 

tous  stare,  then  laughed  a  sv/ppressed  laugh  of  scorn  and  de- 
fiance. 

"  I  see !    You  want  more  money/"' 

He  dropped  the  leather**  case  at  her  feet  with  a  dull,  grim 
apathy. 

She  started. 

"If  it  is  not  money,  what  is  it  you  want?"    she    said. 
"  You  will  not  deceive  me  with  this  rant.     You  forget  that  I 
am  acquainted  with  your  lore  of  the  melodramatic.     This  is,  I 
suppose,  a  piece  of  play-acting  for  my  especial  behoof  and  ( 
amusement  or  "—she  turned   pale,   and  her   eyes  flashed —  i 
"  you  have  met  with  Floris  Carlisle  and  betrayed  me !   Is  that  * 
it?     She  has  bought  you  over — perhaps  promised  you  half  of 
Lord  Norman's  wealth !     Is  that  it  ?    You  have  met  her  ?  " 

He  eyed  her  listlessly,  wearily,  with  the  same  set  look  of 
resolution. 

"  Yes,  I  have  met  her,"  he  said ;  and  for  the  first  time  a 
faint  touch  of  color  came  into  his  face  "  I  have  seen  her, 
and  I  love  her !  " 

"  You  love  her !  "  she  echoed. 

"  I  love  her.  Do  you  misunderstand  me,  Lady  Blanche. 
I  love  her  without  hope;  I  am  content  to  love  her,  so  that  I 
can  make  her  reparation.  It  is  all  I  have  to  live  for,  and  I 
will  do  it." 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment. 

"  What  do  you  wish  to  do  ?  "  she  asked,  almost  inaudibly. 

"  There  are  two  courses,"  he  said,  in  a  slow,  grave  voice. 
"  Either  you  must  make  your  confession  to  Lord  Norman,  or 
leave  it  to  me.  I  care  not  which  it  is/ 

"  He  will  kill  you !  "  she  panted. 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders  with  absolute  indifference. 

"  Perhaps.  I  thought  that  you  would  prefer  that  he  should 
hear  the  story  from  your  lips.  You  know  best  which  will  be 
the  less  bitter  course  for  you." 

She  looked  at  him  with  murder  gleaming  in  her  velvetjf 
eyes. 

If  she  had  had  a  weapon  she  would  have  struck  him  down  I 
then  and  there  without  pity  or  fear. 

"I — I  can  not  do  it !  "  she  wailed.     "  I  can  not  do  it !  " 

"  There  is  no  need ! "  said  a  voice  at  her  side  and  starting, 
she  turned  and  saw  Lord  Norman  standing  in  the  open 
window. 

Lady  Blanche  glanced  at  his  face,  saw  that  he  had  heard 


238  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

all,  and,  flinging  her  hands  before  her  eyes,  crouched  down 
as  if  be  had  struck  her;  but  Oscar  Raymond  stood  firm  and 
folded  his  arms  across  his  breast. 

Lord  Norman  looked  from  one  to  the  other. 

His  face  was  very  pale  and  stern,  but  there  was  a  light  in 
his  eyes,  a  reflection  of  relief  and  hope,  which  had  been 
strangers  to  them  for  a  long  time. 

Slowly  he  raised  his  hand  and  pointed  to  the  staircase. 

4i  You  may  go !  "  he  said,  quietly. 

Oscar  Eaymond  lifted  his  dark  eyes  calmly,  almost  sol- 
'\nnly. 

"  Is  that  all?  1  am  ready  to  give  you  any  satisfaction  you 
...uay  demand."  We  are  in  a  foreign  land,  my  lord — 

ki  You  have  given  me  all  the  satisfaction  it  is  possible  for 
you  to  render,"  said  Bruce,  in  a  low,  steady  voice.  "  I  have 
no  wish  to  kill  you;  I  yield  you  your  life  an3 — remorse. 
Go!" 

Oscar  Raymond  bent  his  head  and  moved  away. 

Lord  Norman  waited  until  hjs  footsteps  had  died  away, 
then  he  picked  up  the  leathern  case  and  dropped  it  at 
Lady  Blanche's  feet. 

"  Blanche/'  he  said,  in  so  low  a  tone  of  voice  that  she  could 
scarcely  hear  him,  "I  have  seen  Floris;  I  have  learned  all 
that  this  man  would  have  forced  you  to  tell  me.  There  is  no 
need  that  you  should  speak  a  word.  Get  up  now  and  go  to 
your  room.  I  shall  go  away  from  this  place,  this  hotel,  at 
once,  and  will  leave  a  letter  for  your  father,  telling  him  that 
the — the  engagement  is  broken  off  by — mutual  consent. 
There  need  be  nothing  more  said  on  either  side.  Heaven  for- 
give you,  Blanche,  for  this  that  you  have  done — forgive  you 
as  I — and  she — forgive  you !  " 

He  laid  his  hand  on  her  head  for  a  moment,  pityingly, 
forgivingly,  and  when,  a  moment  afterward,  she  raised  her 
heavy  eyes,  he  was  gone. 


jar  LADY   PHIDK. 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

T  II  K      .H  I'  R  1)  E  N       0  F      A      S  I  G  H. 

FLORIS  arose  the  next  morning,  after  a  sleepless  night,  <lu 
ing  which  she  had  laid  awake  possessed  in  one  moment  with  i 
poignant  grief  and  the  next  with  a  subdued  joy. 

She  had  lost  him.  lie  had  gone  from  her  forever,  and  he 
would  marry  Lady  Blanche. 

That  was  her  grief,  but  he  loved  her  still ;  he  had  not  been 
false  to  her.  That  was  her  joy ;  and  her  joy  in  the  knowledge 
of  his  truth  and  constancy  far  outweighed  her  grief  at  the  loss 
of  him. 

And  he  was  here  in  Florence. 

She  knew  him  well  enough  to  know  that  he  would  not  re- 
linquish her  without  another  attempt;  she  felt  certain  that 
she  must  place  temptation  beyond  his  reach. 

She  would  leave  Florence  that  morning,  would  put  it  out 
of  his  power  to  break  his  word  to  Lady  Blanche. 

Pale  and  sad,  and  yet  with  a  trace  of  the  great  joy  shining 
in  her  lovely  eyes,  she  went  to  Mrs.  Sinclair's  room. 

The  old  lady  was  in  bed — she  sat  up  too  late  over  her  pre- 
cious books  to  be  an  early  riser — and  was  made  to  understand 
that  Floris  wanted  a  holiday,  and  at  once. 

"Where  are  you  going,  my  dear?  "  she  said. 

Floris  was  staggered  for  ajmoment. 

"Into  the  hilk.  I  shall  only  want  a  day  or  two,"  she  ex- 
plained. 

He  would  not  remain  in  Florence  long,  she  thought. 

"  Oh,  very  well,  my  dear !  You  had  better  take  one  of  the 
girls  with  you.  And,  by  the  way,  you  might  gather  some  of 
the  crested  fern  for  me,  you  know ;  keep  it  as  cool  as  you  can, 
will  you?  And  if  you  should  happen  to  see  any  specimens  of  " 
— here  followed  a  dozen  long  Latin  names — "you  might 
bring  them  also." 

Floris  promised  that  she  would,  and  went  upstairs  and 
packed  a  bag  with  the  few  things  she  required ;  then  she  made 
a  faint  pretense  at  breakfast,  and  in  an  hour  had  started  with 
a  little  maid,  who  was  a  favorite  of  hers. 

The  morning  passed  in  a  dreamy  kind  of  way  for  Floris. 

Slowly  the  carriage  ascended  the  hills,  the  driver  singing 


240  MY  LADY   PRIM. 

below  his  voice,  the  maid  delighted  with  her  holiday,  chatting 
light-heartedly. 

Presently,  the  maid  stopped  her  prattle,  and  put  her  head 
on  one  side. 

"  There  is  some  one  on  the  road  beside  ourselves  this  morn- 
ing, signorita.  Perhaps  they>  too,  are  taking  a  holiday,* 

"  Perhaps,  Marie,"  said  Floris  quite  dreamily. 

The  girl,  leaned  forward  and  looked  back, 

It  is  a  horseman,  signorita,  and  he  is  riding  fast.  The 
poor  horse  is  panting*  It  is  not  a  holiday  for  him,  poor, 
wretched  beast ! " 

Floris  nodded;  she  scarcely  heard  what  the  child  was  say- 
ing, but  suddenly  the  coachman  pulled  up,  and  the  n6xt  in- 
stant the  horseman  was  beside  the  carriage,  and  Floris  beard 
her  name  spoken. 

She  looked  up  and  met  her  lover's  eyes  fixed  on  her,  and 
her  heart  gave  a  great  bound. 

"  Bruce !  "  she  whispered,  joyfully  yet  reproachfully.  "  Oh, 
Bruce,  why  have  you  done  this  ?  " 

He  leaned  forward  and  laid  his  hand  on  the  carriage  door. 

"  I  can  not  speak  to  you  there.  Will  you  come  out  ?  I 
must  speak  to  you !  Ah,  why  did  you  run  away  from  me  ?  " 

"  Because  I  knew — I  felt — I  was  afraid  you  would  come  to 
see  me,  and — "  she  said  faintly,  in  a  troubled  voice.  "  Oh, 
go  back,,  Bruce !  " 

"  I  will — shortly,"  he  said  in  a  strange  voice,  with  a  strange 
light  in  his  eyes.  "  Come  into  the  road  for  a  moment  or 
two." 

He  got  down  and  opened  the  door,  and  held  her  hand  even 
after  she  had  alighted,  forgetting  his  horse. 

"  Signor,  the  horse ! "  shrieked  the  coachman,  but  it  was 
(too  late,  the  sagacious  animal,  having  had  quite"  enough 
%ork  for  that  day  had  swung  around  and  was  off  in  a  good, 
round  trot  for  Florence. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Lord .  Bruce,  with  a  short  laugh ;  "  it 
does  not  matter.  Nothing  matters  now,  Floris !  Hush ;  not 
a  word  yet !  " 

He  drew  her  arm  within  his,  and  led  her  under  the  trees, 
out  of  sight  of  the  curious,  wide-open  eyes  of  the  man  and 
maid. 

"And  so  you  were  running  away  from  me,  were  you  ? " 
he  said,  holding  her  hand*s  and  looking  into  her  eyes  with  the 
fire  of  excitement  and  happiness  in  his.  "Kunning  away 


MY   LADY    9RIDE. 

• 

from  me — was  that  fair  ?     Oh,  my  darling,  how  eafi^  I  tell 

you — the  words  tremble  on  my  lips !  My  heart  is  so  full  of 
ioy  and  happiness — " 

"  Bruce !  " 

"  Yes,  so  full  that  I  can  scarcely  wait  for  the  words  that 
must  be  spoken.  Floris,  since  I  saw  you  last  night  all  has 
been  made  clear.  Look !  " 

He  drew  a  card  from  his  pocket  and  was  about  to  show  it 
to  her,  when  he  whipped  it  behind  his  back.  < 

"  Wait !  Floris,  you  are  sure  it  was  I  you  saw  that  after- 
aoonat  Ballyfloe?" 

Her  head  drooped. 

•"  Oh,  Bruce — why  ask  me?    Why  not  let  it  be  buried?  " 

"  You  are  sure  you  would  know  my  face  again  ?  "  with  a 
arrange  laugh.  "  See — is  that  the  face  of  the  man  you  saw 
at  Lady  Blanche's  feet?" 

And  he  held  out  the  card. 

She  took  it  very  slowly  and  looked  at  it. 

It  was  .a  portrait  of  Oscar  Baymond,  which  he  had  found 
among  the  papers  packed  in  one  of  his  portmanteaus. 

A  bewildered  expression  came  into  her  eyes. 

"  Yes — it  is !  But,  but " — she  raised  her  eyes  to  his  face — 
"  is  it  not  you,  Bruce  ?" 

"  No,"  he  said,  gravely ;  "  it  is  not.  Look  at  the  back ; 
you  will  find  the  Aame  written  there,  Floris.  It  is  the  por- 
trait of  a  man  who,  for  purposes  of  his  own,  passed  himself 
off  on  you  for  me.  Look  at  the  name,  please.." 

She  turned  the  card. 

"  Oscar  Eaymond  to  Lord  Norman  "  was  written  on  it. 

For  a  moment  her  biam  £wam,  and  he  put  his  arm  around 
her  and  held  her  close  to  him,  or  she  would  have  staggered. 

"  You  see,  darling !"  he  cried,  "it  is  all  clear  now,  is  it  not  ?" 

And  in  swift,  hurried  words  he  told  her  the  whole  story.     , 

"All  this  I  heard  last  night  from  their  own  lips.  Ono 
thing  only  is  a  mystery  to  me  still,  *nd  that  is  the  cause  of 
the  repentance — that  is  still  an  enigma,  Jloris." 

"  ShaH  I  tell  you,  Bruce?"  she  whispered;  then,  with  her 
hand  upon  his  shoulder,  she  made  the  last  portion  of  the  mys- 
tery clear. 

"My  darling!"  he  murmured.  "And  it  is  you,  you  who 
have  really  saved  us  both,  after  all !  If  he  had  not  seen  you, 
we  should  still  be — Oh,  I  can  not  think  of  it!  Oh,  my 
darling,  my  Floris;  once  again  and  forever!  Let  tts  thank 


242  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

Heaven  humbly  and  deeply  for  its  mercy!  A  few  day*  \rt,>r? 
and  all 'would  have  been  lost;  there  would  have  been  A  gulf 
between  us  which  death  only  could  have  bridged — and  now, 
death  only  can  divide  us!  "  and,  with  a  cry  of  almost  solemn 
joy,  he  strained  her  to  his  bosom. 

With  his  arm  around  her  waist  they  walked  through  the 
woods,,  her  head  resting  on  his  shoulder,  her  eyes  suffused 
with  the  tears  which  sprung  from  joy  almost  too  incense  for 
endurance. 

It  had  come  so  suddenly,  this  flood  of  light  after  darkness 
that  she  felt  bewildered  and  dazzled.  Coulf?  ^t  be  true?  " 

In  low,  endearing  tones  he  told  her  over  and  over  again  all 
that  had  happened,  dwelling  on  the  misery  and  helpless  de- 
spair, and  making  all  the  points  that  had  seemed  so  dark 
clear  and  intelligible;  and  every  now  and  again  He  stopped 
and  looked  at  her  face,  ay,  and  kissed  it,  as  if  ne,  too,  felt 
there  was  something  too  marvelous  in. his  good  fortune  for  it 
to  be  quite*real. 

They  forgot  the  coachman  and  little  Marie;  Yjut  those  two 
individuals  resigned  themselves  to  tlie  circumstances  with  ad- 
miral)! e  philosophy ;  the  coachman  drew  his  horse  into  the 
shade,  and,  lighting  a  cigar,  flung  himself,  Italian-like,  into 
the  sun  and  went  to  sleep  and  Marie  gathered  some  flowers 
and  made  a  posie  "for  the  signorita  when  she  should  come 
back." 

And  #t  last  Flois  remembered  where  she  was. 

"  Bruce,  dear,  we  must  go  on,"  she  said,  with  a  blush,  and 
a  glance  at  her  watch.  "  I  had — had  quite  forgotten  every- 
thing! Have  we  been  hours  in  this  dear  little  wood  or  only 
minutes?  We  must  go  on  to  Pelago." 

"  Why  Pelago  ?  "  he  said,  smoothing  her  hair.  "  Why  not 
come  back  to  Florence  with  me?  You  don't  want  a  holiday 
now,  seeing  that  you  will  have  such  a  big  one  altogether  di- 
rectly !  Besides,  unless  yon  take  me  back  to  Florence,  how  am 
I  to  get  there?  My  horse  bolted,  you  know  !  " 

"I  had  forgotten  that,"  she  said,  with  another  blush,  and 
only  too  ready  to  accept  the  offered  excuse.  "  Of  course  I 
must  take  you  back !" 

They  went  back  to  the  carriage  very  sedately,  but  Marie, 
though  young,  was  knowing. 

"  Oh,  signorita,"  she  whispered,  as  Floris.  full  of  tenderness 
to  all  and  everything  in  her  new-born  happiness,  stooped  and 


MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

kissed  her.     '*  Is  that  signer  your  lover:     Yes?    Ah,  but  he 
is  handsome  and  noble,  is  he  not  ?  " 

It  was  a  magic  journey,  that  return  to  Florence,  and 
though  the  two  said  but  little  their  hands  locked  together, 
and  their  eyes,  which  met  each  other's  ever  and  again, 
spoke  volumes. 

Mrs.  Sinclair  expressed  no  astonishment  whatever  at  their 
return. 

"  I  thought  you  would  come  back,"  she  said,  dryly ;  "  and 
•.tow  I  suppose  I  may  finish  niy  great  book  myself,  Miss 
Wood,  I  mean,  Miss  Carlisle !  " 

"  Oh,  no ! "  said  Floris,  flushing ;  "  I  shall  stay  with  you, 
madam." 

But  Mrs.  Sinclair  caught  Lord  Norman's  eye  and  met  his 
smile  with  a  significant  one  of  her  own. 

That  evening  he  sent  a  telegram  to  Lady  Betty. 

It  was  very  short,  but  it  was  emphatic  enough,  for  in  three 
days  Lady  Betty  was  at  the  Violet  Villa. 

Floris's  astonishment  at  her  appearance  was  only  equaled  by 
her  delight. 

"  Now,  I  don't  want  to  know  anything  more  than  Bruce 
has  told  me,  my  dear,"  she  said,  after  she  had  a  good  cry  and 
nearly  exhausted  herself  by  lavishing  caresses  on  Floris.  "  In 
fact,  he  had  forbidden  me,  at  the  risk  of  his  sore  displeasure, 
to  talk  about  the  past ;  but  I've  only  one  question  to  ask,  and 
that  is,  Can  you  start  for  England  to-morrow?" 

"  To-morrow  !  "  said  Floris,  aghast. 

"  Yes,  my  dear ;  that  is  -  B  race's  wish." 
/'But  you,  dear  Lady  Betty?" 

"  Oh,  I  am  of  no  consequence,"  said  her  ladyship,  with  a 
laugh.  "  Besides,  really  and  truly,  I  am  dying  of  anxiety  to 
get  you  home,  to  have  you  to  myself  for  a  few  days — I  sha'n't 
have  you  long,  I  know,  for  Bruce  is  most  intemperately  anx- 
ious to  appropriate  you  altogether.  But  do  let  us  start  to- 
morrow, if  you  can;  I  am  sure  no  one  will  be  gladder  to  seo 
you  than  Sir  Edward.  My  dear,  if  I  wasn't  one  of  the  most 
sensible  woman  in  England,  I  should  have  been  most  dread- 
fully jealous  of  you!  Sir  Edward  thinks  there  is  no  one  in 
the  world  so  clever  and  bright  and  good-looking  as  'Miss 
Carlisle,'  and  he  has  talked  of  you  and  regretted  your  absence 
every  day.  So  let  us  go  back  to-morrow." 

They  started  in  the  morning.     Everything  that  wealth  and 


244  MY  LADY   PRIDE. 

influence  could  effect  was  done  to  turround  the  jourmty 
luxury  and  ease. 

If  Floris  Carlisle  had  been  a  princess  of  the  blood  royal, 
as  Lady  Betty  said,  there  could  not  have  been  more  fuss ;  and 
yet  there  was  so  little  real  fuss. 

In  his  quiet  way,  Lord  Norman  secured  sleeping-cars,  en- 
gaged the  best  rooms,  had  carriages  in  waiting,  and  arranged 
everything  almost  as  if  by  magic. 

And  so  it  happened  that  Floris,  who  a  few  months  back 
had  left  England  alone  and  friendless,  returned  to  it  like  a 
Queen  of  Sheba ! 

Their  welcome  in  Grosvenor  Place  was  characteristic  of  Sir 
Edward. 

"  How  do  you  do,  Miss  Carlisle  ?  "  he  said,  holding  her  hand 
and  looking  at  her  in  his  grave  way,  but  with  a  kindly  light 
in  his  keen,  absorbed  eyes.  "  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you  back, 
and  I  have  missed  you  very  much  indeed.  Bruce  is  a  lucky 
fellow  to  have  recovered  you,  a  very  lucky  fellow  indeed,"  and 
*  he  took  and  wrung  Lord  Norman's  hand. 

After  dinner  Sir  Edward  sat  over  his  wine  with  Lord  Nor- 
man for  a  little  while,  then  he  rose. 

"  Going  to  the  House,  I  suppose  ?  "  said  Lord  Norman. 

"  N-o,  not  to-night,  I  think/'  answered  Sir  Edward. 

"  Not  to-night !     Why,  I  thought  you  had  to  speak  ?  " 

"  Y-es,  so  I  had ;  but  I  don't  think  I  will  go  to-night — that 
is,  if  I  sha'n't  be  in  the  way.  I  don't  know  what  the  papers 
will  say;  no  doubt  they'll  imagine  I've  had  a  domestic  bereave- 
ment. 

It  was  a  great  compliment  to  Floris,  and  one  she  was  fond 
of  talking  about  in  after-life,  when  Sir  Edward  had  become 
the  "  great  statesman  of  the  day." 

They  spent  a  quiet,  delightful  evening,  and  when  the  two 
ladies  had  gone  to  their  rooms,  Lady  Betty  held  Floris  at 
arm's-length. 

"Ah,  my  dear,  how  happy  you  look !  "  she  said,  her  eyes 
full  of  sympathy  very  near  to  tears. 

"  Do  I  ?  I  am  glad  of  that,"  whispered  Floris,  "  for  I  arrt 
very,  very  happy,  clear.  Happier,  perhaps,  for  all  that  has 
passed.  You  see,  one  wants  to  know  what  misery  is  to  be 
able  to  appreciate,  at  its  full  value,  such  happiness  as  mine ! " 


MY  LADY  PRIM.  $45 

CHAPTEE  XXXIII. 

FLORIS,    COUNTESS    OF    NORMAL. 

THE  season  was  in  full  swing  when  these  two  lovers — -so 
long  separated,  so  strangely  united — returned  to  London,  and 
their  advent  made  a  pretty  considerable  stir. 

The  world  at  large  knew  nothing  of  what  had  happened, 
but  rumor,  with  its  usual  readiness,  invented  a  hundred  and 
one  stories,  of  all  of  which  Floris  was  the  heroine. 

Consequently  there  was  the  greatest  anxiety  to  see  her,  and 
Lady  Betty  was  besieged  with  invitations,  all  pressing  in  the 
extreme. 

"  I  think  we  had  better  go  to  the  duchess's  ball,  and  get 
it  over,  my  dear,"  said  Lady  Betty.  "  Of  course,  you'll  be 
mobbed  and  stared  at;  people  are  simply  dying  of  curiosity 
to  know  the  true  story  of  your  adventures.  But  you  won't 
mind?" 

"No,  I  sha'n't  mind,"  said  Floris,  with  her  old  -naivete; 
"  not  in  the  least,  seeing  that  I  don't  mean  to  tell  anyone." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Lady  Betty ;  "  then  we'll  go  to-morrow 
night  and  gratify  the  world  with  a  sight  of  the  future  Count- 
ess of  Norman,,  whose  adventures — ': 

"  More  or  less  fabulous,"  put  in  Floris. 

• — "  Have  filled  the  society  papers." 

It  was  a  grand  ball,  and  more  crowded  than  it  would  have 
been  if  the  duchess  had  not  carefully  circulated  the  news  that 
Miss  Carlisle  and  Lord  Norman  were  actually  coming. 

For  the  first  few  minutes  Floris  was  a  little  shy  under  the 
battery  which  was  directed  at  her  by  go  many  curious  eyes; 
but  she  grasped  her  lover's  arm,  just  to  reassure  herself  of 
this  presence,  and  glanced  up  at  his  handsome  face,  with  its 
old  patrician  impassiveness,  and  courage  came  back  to  her. 

Before  they  had  been  in  the  room  an  hour  th«  Lynches 
came  in,  and  Floris  needed  no  courage  to  meet  these  true 
friends. 

Sir  Joseph  and  his  good-natured  wife  were  overwhelmed 
with  pleasure  at  seeing  her,  and  scarcely  left  her  side  the 
whole  evening. 

A  little  after  midnight  Lord  Norman  went  to  the  re- 
freshment-room to  get  a  drink,  and  had  got  his  glass  of 


245  MY  LADY  PRIDE. 

champagne,  whan  he  law  a  gentleman  tutoring  at  the  door  op- 
posite him. 

He  set  the  glass  down  and  strode  across  the  room,  with  a 
glad  "  Bertie !  "  on  his  lips. 

Bertie  Clifforde,  for  it  was  he,  started  and  turned  around, 
and  extended  his  hand;  then,  before  Lord  Norman  .could 
seize  it,  drew  it  back,  and,  with  a  cold,  low  bow,  was  about  to 
pass  out. 

Lord  Norman  flushed,  turned  pale,  and  stood  for  a  moment 
irresolute;  then  he  followed  him  and  put  a  hand  on  his 
shoulder. 

"Bertie!"  he  said. 

"  Well  ?  "  said  Bertie ;  and  his  face  paled  sternly  under  its 
bronze.  "  I  have  no  desire  to  hold  any  conversation  with 
you,  Lord  Norman." 

Lord  Norman  bit  his  lips. 

"  What  does  this  mean,  Bertie  ?  "  he  said,  gravely.  "Ah, 
I  see ! " 

Bertie  flushed. 

"  My  memory  appears  to  be  a  better  one  than  yours,  Lord 
Norman,"  he  said;  "at  any  rate,  it  is  too  good  for  me  to 
forget  that  a  man  who  has  acted  as  you  have  done  to  an  inno- 
cent and  trusting  lady  has  lost  the  right  to  accost  me  or  any 
honset  mam." 

"Stop — for  heaven's  sake!  Come  with  me,"  said  Lord 
Norman,  quickly,  and  seizing  his  arm  he  drew  him  into  a  re- 
tired spot.  Bertie,  have  you  not  heard — have  you  seen  none 
of  the  papers  ?  " 

"  I  have  just  returned  to  England,"  said  Bertie,  "  and  have 
seen  no  papers,  nor  heard  any  scandal  whatsoever;  that  which 
I  refer  to — your  conduct — happened  before  I  left,  Lord  Nor- 
man. But  I  am  glad  I  have  met  you  thus  soon,  as  it  affords 
me  an  opportunity  of  demanding  satisfaction  on  behalf  of  a 
lady  whose  name  had  not  better  be  memtioned,  I  at  who  honors 
me  with  her  friendship." 

"  Satisfaction — yes !  "  said  Lord  Norman,  gravely  and  qui- 
etly. "No,  there  is  no  need  to  mention  Ler  name." 

He  paused  a  moment,  then  went  on,  his  voice  quivering  a 
little : 

"  Bertie — you  see  I  still  dare  to  call  you  so — Bertie,  if  any- 
thing could  strengthen  the  friendship  and  respect  I  have  for 
you,  these  words  you  have  spoken,  this  greeting  you  have  ex- 
tended to  me  would  do  it!  Yes,  Bertie,  I  know  what  you 


MY   LADY   PRTDE. 

mean~the  lady  you  think  I  have  wronged,  to  whom — Heaven 
forgive  me — I  did  all  unintentionally,  is  my— is  Eloris  Car- 
lisle— my  future  wife !  " 

Bertie  stepped  back,  mute  with  astonishment. 

"  Hush,  don't  say  a  word,"  said  Lord  Norman,  much  agi- 
tated. "  Wait  until  1  have  told  you  the  whole  story,  Ber- 
tie." 

*     The  two  men  remained  in  the  quiet  corridor  for  half  an 
hour. 

At  first,  amazement  was  the  predominant  emotion  in  ]j|er- 
tie's  heart,  but  this  soon  gave-  place  to  relief  and  thankful- 
ness. 

"Thank  Heaten!"  he  said,  at  last.  "Bruce,  forgive  me; 
and  yet — " 

"  I  scarcely  deserve  forgiveness ;  you  are  right.  I.  believed, 
like  a  credulous  fool.  But  don't  think  I  have  escaped  pun- 
ishment; I  have  had  enough  of  that,  Bertie,  to  satisfy  even 
you.  But  come  and  see  Floris.  If  there  was  anything  want- 
ing to  complete  her  happiness  your  presence  will  supply  it — 
we  have  talked  of  you  so  much,  old  fellow.  How  did  you  get 
home — not  invalid — not  wounded  ?"  and  he  looked  him  over, 
anxiously. 

"Invalid,  but  not  wounded,"  said  Bertie ;~ "but  I  am  all 
right  now.  I  shall  be  able  to  dance  at  your  wedding,  Bruce," 
he  said,  with  a  faint  flush.  "Wait  a  moment,  will  you?"  he 
added,  as  Lord  Norman  was  for  taking  him  to  Floris.  "  This 
Oscar  Raymond ;  you  remember  the  man,  of  course  ?  See 
here,  Bruce,  I  don't  want  to  startle  you,  but  I  have  news  of 
him." 

"  News  of  Oscar  Raymond ! "  repeated  Lord  Norman,  as  if 
the  name  were  difficult  for  him  to  pronounce  calmly. 

Bertie  nodded  gravely. 

"  Yes.  I  came  by  the  overland  route,  you  know ;  my  doe- 
tor  insisted  upon  my  taking  a  round  of  it,  anxious  as  I  was 
to  reach  England.  At  Genoa  we  stayed  at  the  €  Three  Keys  9 
Hotel—" 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  know  it." 

"  The  night  we  stayed  there  a  man  was  found  dead  in  his 
room.  He  was  an  Englishman,  there  could  be  no  doubt  about 
that,  but  there  was  nothing  to  lead  to  his  identification  except- 
ing a  cigar-case  with  the  initials  '  0.  R.'  * 

Lord  Norman  started  and  bit  his  lip. 

"Did  you  see  it — the  case?" 


MY  LADY  'PRIDE. 


"  It  was  a  Buifciam-leather  case  witb  the  Ckri»t  Ckurch 
arms  on  the  back." 

"  Yes,31  assented  Bertie.    "  You  know  it??> 

"  It  was  one  I  gave  him  when  we  were  at  college  together;" 
said  Lord  Norman,  gravely.  "  You  saw  him  ?" 

"Yes,  for  a  moment.  Now  I  know  of  'this  strange  story, 
I  remember  enough  of  the  face  to  trace  a  likeness;  but  this 
man's  hair  was  iron  gray—  almost  entirely  gray,  I  am  sure  !" 

"  It  is  the  same  man.     Great  heavens  !     Dead  so  soon  !  " 

"Yes,  and  died  by  his  own  hand.  We  found  a  bottle 
of  chloral  by  the  bedside;  there  was  no  doubt  in  the  doc- 
tor's mind.  We  did  all  we  could,  and  I  stayed  and  saw  him 
buried.  What  did  you  say,  Bruce?"  for  Lord  Norman  had 
murmured  something. 

"  Vengeance  is  mine  !  "  he  said,  aloud  and  solemnly. 
"Don't  tell  me  any  more,  Bertie;  and—  and  —  not  a  word  to 
Floris.  Come  to  her  now." 

But  Bertie  held  back  for  a  moment  longer. 

"  I  think  I'll  call  in  the  morning,  Bruce,"  he  said,  in  a  low 
voice,  but  at  that  moment  her  voice  was  heard  behind  them, 
and  the  next  she  had  caught  sight  of  him. 

In  an  instant  she  broke  from  the  arm  of  Sir  Joseph,  who 
accompanied  her,  and  came  toward  Bertie,  with  outstretched 
hands  and  glowing  eyes. 

"At  last  !  "  she  breathed,  as  he  held  her  hands,  both  of 
them  utterly  indifferent  to  the  people  around  them.  "  At 
last!  Oh,  how  glad  I  am!  How  I  have  longed  for  you  to 
come  back  !  How  glad,  how  glad  I  am  !  Where  did  you  find 
him,  Bruce?  It  only  wanted  this  —  " 

"What  did  I  tell  you,  Bertie?"  said  Lord  Norman,  with 
quiot  triumph.  * 

Bertie  said  nothing,  not  a  word,  but  probably,  like  the  par- 
rot, he  thought  the  more. 

Certain  it  is  that  from  that  moment  he  became,  indeed,  a 
brother  to  the  beautiful  woman,  and  that,  though  he  never 
married  and  was  a  constant  visitor  —  more  constant  by  a  very 
great  deal  than  brothers  are  —  Bruce  never  felt  the  slightest 
twinge  of  jealousy. 


It  was  a  very  quiet  wedding,  at  least  that  was  how  Lady 
Betty  described  it,  though,  as  Floris  said,  if  hers  was  a  quiet 
one  she  pitied  the  bride  who  had  to  endure  a  grand  one. 


MY   LADY   PRIDE.  249 

The  date  of  the  wedding  had  aot  about,  perhaps  Lady  Betty 
whispered  it  in  the  strictest  confidence  to  a  lady  friend  or  two, 
and  the  little  chapel  in  the  Savoy  was  crammed. 

All  Florists  friends  were  there,  the  Lynches  and  Doctor 
Greene  included;  and  the  great  duke  who.  was  related  to 
Bruce,  at  his  own  request,  gave  the  bride  away. 

Bertie  was  best  man,  and  not  a  few  of  the  young  ladies  who 
were  present  cast  pensive  glances  in  his  direction;  but  Bertie 
seemed  to  think  on  this,  as  on  all  other  occasions,  that  there( 
was  only  one  woman  in  the  world  worth  thinking  of,  and  as 
he  could  not  have  her,  the  rest,  as  Hamlet  says,  "  was  si- 
lence." 

The  wedding-breakfast  was  a  great  success,  principally,  I 
think,  because  there  were  few  speeches,  and  those  short  ones ; 
and  among  the  presents  spread  out  on  the  drawing-room 
tables,  amid  the  articles  of  gold  and  silver  and  the  splendid 
jewels,  was  a  bunch  of  rare  orchids  from  Florence,  with  Mrs. 
Sinclar's  best  wishes. 

Floris  looked  very  beautiful;  indeed,  the  great  society  paper 
declared  emphatically  that  she  would  be  the  most  lovely  bride 
of  the  season;  and  Bruce,  who  had  lost  his  haggard  look,  was, 
as  Doctor  Greene  remarked,  "  as  fit  as  a  man  could  be." 

They  had  decided  to  spend  the  honey-moon  at  Xorman 
Holme;  they  both  had  had  enough  of  the  Continent  for  the 
present,  and  soon  after  the  breakfast  they  started,  the  guests 
thronging  the  entrance  hall  with  the  usual  rice  and  slippers, 
most  of  the  latter,  it  is  scarcely  necessary"  to  state,  striking  the 
coachman  and  the  footman. 

One  honey-moon  is  generally  very  much  like  another,  but 
Floris  and  Bruce's  was  an  exception  to  the  rule. 

They  had  so  nearly  lost  each  other  that  their  reunion  had 
seemed  almost  miraculous,  and  Bruce  would  sit  and  look  at 
her  sometimes,  in  the  quiet  of  the  after-dinner  hour  and  ask 
himself  what  he  had  clone  to  deserve  this  great  joy  which  had 
fallen  to  him.  / 

After  three  weeks  of  this  perfect  happiness  they  went  to  i 
London,  but  tlie  honey-moon  was  not  over,  and  they  went  J 
without  fuss  or  notice  to  their  friends. 

"  Let  us  enjoy  ourselves  together  for  a  week  or  two  at 
least,"  said  Bruce.  "We  won't  go  to  1he  London  house,  but 
put  up  at  Claridge's,  and  well  just  take  "a  holiday  as  Susan 
the  house-maid  and  James  the  footman  do  when  they  are 
mated.  We'll  go  to  the  theatres  and  do  the  galleries  and  eon* 


250  MY    LADY    rniDE. 

certs,,  and  Fli  row  you  to  Toplow-on-the-Tharnes  on  especially 
fine  days^and  you  shall  be  quite  a  Bohemian.'' 

And  they  carried  out  their  little  plan  to  perfection. 

The  ceremony  and  hard  work  pertaining  to  her  as  the 
Countess  of  Norman  were  put  off  for  awhile,  and  they  devoted 
themselves  to  each  other  like  "  Susan  and  J  ^mes." 

One  night,  as  they  were  returning  from  one  of  the  theatres, 
their  little  brougham  broke  down  near  Leicester  Square. 

It  was  nothing  very  serious,  and  no  one  was  hurt,  not  even 
the  horse. 

Bruce  got  Floris  out  in  a  moment,  and  was  calling  a  cab, 
when  Floris,  who  had  got  on  a  bonnet  and  thick,  plain 
wrap,  said : 

"  It  is  a  lovely  night,  Bruce.     Can't  we  walk  ?  " 

"All  right,"  he  said.  "  You  are  sure  you  are  wrapped 
up  ?  *' 

"  Perfectly;  and  the  walk  will  be  so  nice.  I've  never  walked 
in  London  so  late  as  this.  How  strange  it  looks." 

x  He  took  her  on  his  arm,  lighted  a  cigar,  and  they  walked 
toward  home. 

To  avoid  crowded  thoroughfares,  Lord  Xornian  turned 
down  a  quiet  street,  and  they  were  just  passing  a  French  cafe, 
the  lights  from  the  windows  of  which  quite  lighted  up  the 
streets,  when  the  door  was  violently  thrown  open  and  a  woman 
came  hurrying  out. 

She  was  weeping  bitterly,  but  in  a  dull,  heavy  fashion,  as 
if  she  were  accustomed  to  it ;  and  Floris  seeing  her,  pressed 
Lord  Norman's  arm  and  whispered: 

"  Oh  Bruce,  that  poor  woman ;  see !  " 

He  turned  his  head,  and  at  the  moment  a  man,  evidently 
intoxicated,  came  out  of  the  cafe,  looked  round  in  search  of 
the  woman,  and  with  a  tipsy  oath,  aimed  a  blow  at  her. 

Lord  Norman  was  just  in  time  to  seize  his  shaky* arm  and 
push  him  back  against  the  wall. 

The  man  stared  at  him  for  a  moment,  then,  mumbling  in- 
coherently, shuffled  and  staggered  back  into  the  house. 

Floris,  whose  pity  was  always,  as  Bruce  said,  ready  for  man 
or  beast,  went  to  the  woman  and  touched  her  on  the  arm. 

"Poor  creature!"  she  murmured. 

The  woman  dropped  her  apron  from  her  eyes,  and  Floris 
started  back. 
If  was  Jos  I  no  ! 

JoeirK1,   H    pale,  careworn,  harassed-looking  woman,   with 


MY    LADY 


2&1 


sunken  eyes  and  tear-swollen  lips;  there  was  a  dark-red  stain 
on  one  side  of  her  face  showing  that  the  brute/  had  already 
struck  her  before  she  had  left  the  house. 

Floris  shrunk  back  into  the  shadow,  and  Bruce  came  up  1<> 
her. 

"Are  you  hurt?"  he  said,  quietly.  "  Is  there  anything  I 
can  do  for  you  ?  " 

Josine  shook  her  head  dully  and   despairingly. 

"  No,  sir;  he  is  my  husband.  Look  at  my  face  !  "  she  raises] 
her  head  to  the  light  :  "  look  at  me  !  He  who  did  that  was 
the  man  I  raised  from  beggary  —  my  husband  !  He  has  spent 
all  my  money,  and—1" 

She  stopped  and  shrunk  back  with  a  cry  of  fear  and  dread, 
for  the  light  had  fallen  upon  Bruce's  'face,  and  she  recog- 
nized him. 

"Milord  Norman!"  she  gasped.  "Oh,  mercy,  my  lord, 
mercy  !  "  and  she  seemed  about  to  fall  on  her  knees;  but  Floris 
caught  her  arm  and  held  her  on  her  feet,  murmuring  words 
of  forgiveness  and  pity. 

She  would  have  stopped  with  her.  goodness  knows  how  long, 
and  would  have  taken  her  away,  but  Bruce  drew  her  to  him 
with  gentle  firmness. 

"Come,  now,  Floris;  you  can  do  nothing  to-night.  T  will 
come  and  see  you  to-morrow,  Josine.  You  have  behaved  very 
wickedly,  but  you  have  received  your  punishment,  my  poor 
girl." 

:'Yes,  yes,  milord/'  sobbed  Josine,  gesticulating  wildly. 
"  It  was  all  the  money.  If  T  had  not  had  Lady  Blanche's 
money,  this  man  would  not  have  married  me,  and  I  should 
have  been  spared  this,"  and  she  pointed  to  the  scarlet  stain  on 
her  white  face.  "Ah,  we  were  very  clever,  milord,  but  it  is 
Miladi  Floris  who  has  won  the  game  after  all,  while  we— 
and  with  a  shrug  of  her  shoulders  and  a  dull  sob  she  went 
into  the  house. 


On  a  night  in  June,  when  the  season  was  at  its  height,  was 
held  one  of  the  great  state  balls. 

The  room  was  very  crowded,  and  dancing  was  rendered 
almost  impossible. 

For  the  most  part  the  brilliant  throng  gathered  in  groups 
and  chattered,  while  they  listened  to  the  music  or  watched 


152  MY   LADY   PRIDE. 

the  daecers  who  had  found  sufficient  eetirage  to  take  ttit 

floor. 

The  centre  of  one  of  these  groups  was  Moris,  Countess  of 
Norman. 

She  had  never  looked  more  lovely  than  she  looked  to-night, 
and  it  was  no  wonder  that  with  her  beauty  and  the  vague  air 
of  romance  that  had  come  about  her,  London  should  be 
metaphorically  at  her  feet. 

Close  by  her  side,  as-usual,  was  Bertie,  and  not  very  far  off' 
young  Lord  Harry,  whose  devotion  to  Bruce  was  almost  dog- 
like  in  its  intensity. 

Bruce  had  attempted  a  waltz  with  some  one,  but  had  found 
the  attempt  a  failure,  and  was  sitting  it  out  with  his  partner  • 
in  a  cool  nook  near  the  door. 

Presently  hi*  partner  was  taken  away  from  him  by  the  man 
to  whom  she  was  next  engaged,  and  Bruce  was  making  his 
way  to  his  wife's  side,  when  he  came  full  tilt  upon  Lady 
Blanche. 

She  was  so  much  altered  that  for  the  moment  he  was  stag- 
gered!  but  the  next,  as  he  met  the  calm,  serene  gaze  of  the 
brown,  velvety  eyes,  his  heart  swelled  with  a  righteous  anger. 

She  held  out  her  hand  with  a  cold,  icy  smile,  though  her 
heart  may  have  been  beating  wildly  notwithstanding. 

Lord  Norman  touched  her  hand  with  his  fingers,  and  stood 
regarding  her. 

"  How  do  you  do,  Bruce?  "  she  said.  "  I  did  not  know  you 
were  in  town.  We  have  just  come  back.  Is  " — she  paused  a 
second — "  is  Lady  Norman  quite  well  ?  " 

He   bowed. 

"  Yes,  we  have  just  come  back.  I  suppose  I  ought  to  tell 
you  that  T  am  engaged  to  be  married  to  the  Count  d'Encion." 

Bruce  knew  him ;  an  old  man,  and  a  bad  one.     . 

"To  the  Count  d'Encion?"  he  said,  speaking  for  the  first 
time,  his  eyes  stern  and  cold.  "  Then  I  may  conclude  that 
you  will  spend  a  greater  portion  of  your  time  in  Paris  ?  " 

"Yes,  certainly/'  she  said.     "Why?' 

"  Because,  as  Lady  Norman  would  decline  any  invitations 
to  houses  which  you  intended  visiting,  it  would  be  as  well  to 
know  when  you  were  in  town." 

Lady  Blanche  rose — she  had  sunk  on  to  a  chair — and  looked 
at  him;  she  was  deathly  white  and  breathing  hard. 

*  You — you  do  not  forgive  or  forget,  (it  seems,  Bruce." 

"  I  forgive,  we  both  forgive,  and  we  are  anxious  to  forget « 


MY  LADY   PRIDE.  253 

that  is  wky  I  do  not  intend  my  wife  to  meat  you,  Blanche," 
he  said,  calmly. 

She  opened  her  fan,  shut  it  with  a  sudden  click,  and  turned 
from  him. 

A  few  minutes  afterward  he  heard  "  Lady  Sey mour's  car- 
riage "  called  for. 

He  could  forgive  Oscar  Eaymond,  dead  by  his  own  hand; 
he  could  forgive  Josine,  with  her  drunken  husband  as  a  pun- 
ishment; but  he  co\ild  not  forgive,  entirely  and  completely^ 
Lady  Blanche  1 


THE 


THE  ROYAL  SEKIE8. 

Bright  Stories  by  the  Rest  Authors. 

I2m<x  Size,  Illustrated  Covers,  Clear  Print,  250  to 

500  Pages  Each. 

Price,  15  Cents  Each,  or  2  Books  for  25  Cents, 
Postpaid. 


1  Adrain  Leroy Charles  Garvice 

2  Elaine    " 

3  Farmer  Holt's  Daughter " 

4  Her  Ransom 

5  Her  Humble  Lover * 

6  ,  Her  Heart's  Desire " 

7  •  My  Lady  Pride " 

8  Royal  Signet  " 

9  The  Sculptor's  Wooing  ....... 

10  A  Wasted  Love  u 

11  Woven  on  Fate's  Loom 

12  A  Bridge  of  Love B.  M.  Clay 

13  A  Dead  Heart   

14  A  Golden  Dawn   

15  The  False  Vow   

tl6  Her  Second  Love   

(1 7  Lord  Lynne's  Choice 

18  Like  no  Other  Love " 

19  Love  For  a  Day 

20  Under  a  Shadow   « 

21  Heiress  of  Hilldrop * 

22  Set  in  Diamonds   

23  A  Squire's  Darling  

24  The  Shadow  of  a  Sin 

25  The  Shattered  Idol   * 

26  Thorn  in  Her  Heart 

27  Thrown  on  the  World * 

?8  A  Woman's  Temptation 


THE  ROYAL  SERIES. 


29  Wedded  and  Parted  B.  M.  Clay 

30  A  Woman^s  War  

31  A  Queen  among  Women " 

32  His  Wife's  Judgment 

33  Dora  Thome    

34  A  Broken  Wedding  Ring C.  M.  Braeme 

35  Sir  Arthur's  Heiress 

36  A  Golden  Heart 

37  A  Fiery  Ordeal  

38  A  Mad  Love  " 

39  At  War  with  Herself 

40  On  Her  Wedding  Morn " 

41  For  Another's  Sin  

42  Wife  in  Name  Only " 

43  Between  Two  Loves  

44  Her  Faithful  Heart 

45  A  Passionate  Love 

46  Shadow  of  the  Past 

47  Her  Only  Sin C.  M.  Braeme 

48  My  Wonderful  Wife  . . : Marie  Corelli 

49  Mildred  Trevanion The  Dutchess 

50  A  Maiden,  All  Forlorn 

51  The  Duchess   

52  The  Haunted  Chamber 

53  The  Honorable  Mrs.  Verekw " 

54  Lady  Valworth's  Diamonds 

55  A  Life's  Remorse " 

56  Marvel  

57  Under   Currents    " 

58  A  Crown  of  Shame Florence  Marryatt 

59  A  Little  Stepson 

60  The  Poison  of  Asps  

61  Deserted Elsie  Whittlesey 

62  Unknown    

63  Hemlock  Swamp   

64  Helen  Ethinger   

65  Not  Exactly  fcight  


THE  ROYAL  SERIES. 


66  The  Lost  Heiress H.  W.  Taylor 

67  The  Little  Countess O.  Feuillet 

68  The  Two  Orphans Dennery 

69  Mrs.  Vereker's  Courier  Maid The  Dutchess 

70  Corsican  Brothers   Alexander  Dumas 

71  Catherine's  Flirtations B.  M.  Clay 

72  Camille   , .Alexander  Dumas 

73  A  Fatal  Wedding Mrs.  M.  E.  Braddon 

74  The  Clemenceau  Case .  Alexander  Dumas 

75  The  White  Slave Elizabeth  Van  Loon 

76  The  Kreutzer  Sonata  Tolstoy 

77  Sapho   Alphonse  Daudet 

78  Woman  against  Woman  . .  .Mrs.  M.  E.  Holmes 

79  The  Price  of  Honor . .  Charles  Garvice 

80  Old  Lady  Mary  Mrs.  Oliphant 

81  The  Mistress  of  Court  of  Regna.  .Chas.  Garvico 

82  Claire 

83  A  Coronet  of  Shame 

84  Love  of  a  Life  Time 

85  His  Perfect  Trust 

86  Her  Love  So  True  

87  Sherlock  Holmes . . .  A.  Conan  Doyl* 

88  The  Child  Wife " Ada  M.  Howard 

89  The  World's  Desire H.  Rider  Haggard 

90  Pretty  Peggy  Charles  Reade 

91  At  the  World's  Mercy Florence  Warden 

92  The  Australian  Aunt Mrs.  Alexander 

93  A  False  Scent c " 

94  Look  Before  You  Leap 

95  Only  a  Governess,  .by  author  of  Tfie  Child  Wife 

96  The  Dean  and  His  Daughter. . ,.  .Mrs.  Phillips 

97  A  Lucky  Young  Woman 

98  A  House  Party  ; . .  .Ouida 

99  Lord  Vancourt's  Daughter Mabel  Collins 

100  The  Marquis Charles  Garvice 

101  Old  Hagar's  Secret Mary  J.  Holmec 

102  Meadow   Brook .-«  * 


THE  HOYAE  SERIES. 


103  Dora   Dean    Mary  J.  Holmes 

104  Lady  Dina's  Pride Bertha  M.  Clay 

105  The  English  Orphans Mary  J.  Holmes 

106  Homestead  on  the  Hillside " 

107  Tempest  and  Sunshine 

108  Lena  Rivers    " 

109  Jennie Bertha  M.  Clay 

no  The  Black   Beauty Anna   Sewell 

III  Dr.  Jekyl  and  Mr.  Hyde R.  L.  Stevenson 

.  112  The  Lady  of  Lyons Bulwer  Lytton 

113  Marriage  at  Sea Clark  Russell 

114  Parisian    Romance Octave   Fenillet 

115  Romeo  and  Juliet Wm.  Black 

116  Ten  Nights  in  Bar-room T.  S.  Arthur 

117  House  of  Seven  Gables N.  Hawthorn 

118  Charlptte  Temple Mrs.  Rowson 

119  Lucy/  Temple    

120  Flower  and  Jewel.  .Mrs.  Alex.  McVeigh  Miller 

121  What  Gold  Can  Not  Buy Mrs.  Alexander 

122  Merle's  Crusade .Rosa  Nouchette  Carey 

123  Lord  Lisle's  Daughter C.  M.  Braeme 

124  Love's  Surrender  

125  Earl's  Error   

126  Jessie    

127  Bonnie  Doon " 

128  Madam  Claire,  or  "the  Blessing  of  the  Holy 

Rose  Walter  Besant 

129  The  Inner  House  

130  "Self  or  Bearer"   . .  .Walter  Besant 

131  Allan  Quatefmain H.  Rider  Haggard 

132  She    

133  Tour  of  the  World  in  Eighty  Days.  Jules  Verne 

134  The  Heir  of  Linne Robert  Buchanan 

135  Called  Back Hugh  Conway 

136  Story  of  an  African  Farm O.  Shriner 

537  By  the  Gates  of  the  Sea David  C.  Murray 

138  Circumstantial  Evidence Hugh  Conwa^ 


THE  ROYAI  SEBIES. 


139  Jennie  Harlowe. Clark  Russell 

140  Second  Thoughts Rhoda  Broughton 

141  Out  of  His  Reckoning .Florence  Marryat 

142  Forging  the  Fetters :Mrs.  Alexander 

143  A  Week's  Amusement The  Duchess 

144  She  Trusted  Him Chas.  Garvicc 

145  Leslie's  Peril  ,..,,*,.,,,.«»» ttt« 


OLD  SLEUTH  SERIES. 

A  new  library.  The  following  list  comprises  some 
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I.  The   Lightning   Irish    Detective. 

2  The  Great  Indian  Scout  Detective. 

3  Variety  Jack. 

4  Ray's  Adventure. 

5  On  Their  Track. 

6  The  Omnipresent  Avenger. 

7  Tradegy  and  Strategy. 

8  The  Man  who  Vanished. 

9  The  Irony  of  Fate. 

10  A  Case  of  Identity. 

11  Beaten  by  Woman's  Wit 

12  The  League  of  Rogues. 

13  The  Great  Bank  Robbery. 

14  Detective  Thrash. 

15  Gentleman  Thorne. 

16  Henry  Broch. 

17  Old  Ironside. 

18  Detective  Murdock?    The  Silent 

19  A  Straight-Out  Detective. 

20  Gypsy  Frank. 

21  Step  by  Step. 

22  Billy  Mischief. 

23  Tom  Dashton. 

24  The  Final. 

25  The  Wizard  Detective. 

26  The  Two  Conspirators. 

27  A  Startling  Discovery. 

28  A  Wall  Street  Tragedy. 


OID  SIETITH  SEEIES. 


29  In  Desperate  Straits. 

30  Working  in  the  Dark. 

31  A  Struggle  to  Win. 

32  The  Giant  Detective. 

33  The  Mysterious  Yankee. 

34  Old  Terrible. 

•35  Old  Sleuth's  Triumph. 

36  The  Kidnapped  Heiress. 

37  Old  Sleuth's  Wonderful  Revelation. 

38  The  Gypsy*t)etective. 

39  The  Beautiful  Blackmailer. 

40  The  Queen  of  Rogues. 

41  Iron  Burgess. 

42  Black  Jess,  the  Outlaw. 

43  The  Fire-Fiend  among  the  Moonshiners. 

44  Old  Electricity,  the  Lightning  Detective* 

45  Desperate  Larry. 

46  That  Dangerous  Humpback. 

47  The  Giant  Athlete. 

48  A  Million  in  Jewels. 

49  The  American  Thug. 
go  (The  Girl  Champion. 


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301  THe  Clemenceau  Case Dumt« 

302  Camille   " 

303  Sapho    Daudet 

304  Which  Woman  Loved  Him  Best 

305  Korzoff's  Courtship   " 

306  The  Gay  Count M.  N.  Sh«rwoo3 

307  A  Lustful  Sin " 

308  Bonnie  Marie 

309  Gabrielle,  the  Unfaithful  Wife. .  * 

310  Repented    , 

311  His  Friend's  Wife 

312  Marrying  Off  a  Daughter 

313  Secrets  of  a  Princess Pfeti)  DC  Koclc 

314  Love  and  Passion " 

315  The  Strange  Will , 

316  A  Mother's  Sacrifice. -., 

317  Betrayed    ,  * 

318  Love's  Vigil    

319  Love  and  Jealousy 

320  Her  Husband's  Friend , 

321  His  Hearth  Delight 

322  Crime  of  a  Countess 

323  His  Father's  Crime 

324  Eugenie's  Confession Henry  Greville 


THE  FRENCH  FICTION  LIBRARY. 

326  Wanted,  A  Conscience .Henry  Grevillo 

327  Elyria, by  the  author  of  Deserted 

328  The  Millionaire's  Wife Allen 

329  A  Crooked  Path,  . .  .by  the  author  of  the*Freres 

330  Scarlet  Letter . .  .,N.  Hawthorne 

331  Amours  of  Phillippie. Octave  Feuillet 

332  Adventures  of  a  Flirt M.  Rutledge 

333  Exiles  of  Siberia. Tissot 

334  The  Fugitives « 

335  Led  Astray .Van  Loon 

336  A  Sinner's  Sentence .A.  Larder 

337  Jealous  Husband " 

338  Pierre  Goriot  .".".. .  .Balzac 

339  The  Flower  Girls  of  Marseilles Emile  Zola 

340  Claude's  Confession " 

341  Nana's  Brother " 

342  Germinal « 

343  Mysteries  of  the  Court  of  Napoleon. .         " 

344  Stranglers  of  Paris  Beloi 

345  La  Grande  Florine Belot 

346  The  Devil's  Die .'.'.' .' Alter 

347  Michael  Strogoff . , '.  Jules  Verne 

348  Romantic  Adventures  of  a  Milkmaid.  .T.  Hardy 

349  Strange  Adventures  of  Lucy  Smith.Mrs.  Phillips 

350  Jennette's  Repentance George  Elliott 

351  Countess  Eva J.  H.  Shorthouse 

352  An  Old  Man's  Love Anthony  Trollippe 

353  The  Black  Venus Adolphe  Belot 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
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Return  to  desk  from  which  borrowed. 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


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